Tobacco is addictive. Many physicians, including this writer, consider tobacco one of the hardest drugs to quit using. Marijuana is addictive, and is also one of the hardest drugs for addicts to quit. They often return to marijuana first if they relapse. The nicotine content of cigarettes varies.
Tobacco is associated with birth abnormalities.
Marijuana is associated with decreased birth weight, length and shorter duration of pregnancy. Patients frequently refuse to quit tobacco because it helps some of them lose weight and manage anxiety despite severe health consequences. A strong movement is supporting the use and legalization of smoked marijuana as medicine despite severe health consequences, toxicity, and the availability of safer more effective medications for the various medical problems. No major medical organization would ever support tobacco as medicine. No major medical organization supports the use of smoked marijuana as medicine.