Does Marijuana Have Nicotine In It?

It’s largely known that smoking is harmful to your health. It doesn’t matter if you’re smoking weed or tobacco; your lungs are not a fan of smoke in general.

So that prompts the question, is weed smoke just as bad as tobacco? Furthermore, does weed have nicotine in it? While these two plants are favored by many, they both come with their own risks and drawbacks.

Read on for more information about the differences between cannabis and tobacco.

Nicotine is a stimulant drug that’s mostly found in tobacco leaves. It’s responsible for speeding up the messages from the brain to the body.

Researchers have said that nicotine contains a psychoactive element but doesn’t make the user high. Instead, it’s a temporary “head rush” that makes them feel light-headed.

It’s highly addictive, and after frequent use, the head rush dissipates and leaves the user reaching for a smoke to satisfy their cravings.

Let’s start by clarifying that no, cannabis does not contain nicotine. This can be confusing, considering that cannabis can become addictive but not as addictive as nicotine in tobacco.

The addictive element within cannabis is nothing more than the high caused by THC or its relaxing effects. With time, if the user grows a positive relationship with this high, they may crave it to beat restlessness, anxiety, or simply chill out.

Cannabis is not nearly as addictive as nicotine, but building a tolerance to THC while seeking that beloved high can be addictive itself.

When it comes to the main differences between cannabis and tobacco smoke, our carcinogen intake is what we should be concerned about. Carcinogens are substances that can cause cancer in living body tissue.

One study pointed out that cannabis and tobacco have similar chemical properties, but their carcinogenic components “differ greatly.”

Let’s not get it twisted; both types of smoke contain carcinogens, but “cannabis smoke minimizes some carcinogenic pathways whereas tobacco smoke enhances some,” reads the study.

When we ingest carcinogens, our bodies react with inflammatory immune responses. The study noted that cannabis down-regulates these immune responses, making it harder for carcinogens to activate in our bodies.

The study concluded that cannabis and tobacco “are not equally carcinogenic,” meaning we may have some hope that we’re not entirely damaging our bodies.

Thus, we can safely say the only addictive aspect of cannabis is the high produced by THC. Minor cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, and CBN are not psychoactive, meaning they’re not addictive.

Cannabis does not contain nicotine, but it can be highly depended on to relieve anxiety, depression, and physical pain.