It's probably not worse than smoking cigarettes anyway.
Its not that simple.
One smoking organic tobacco saves themself from about 90% of carcinogenic activity, as opposed to your newports/marlboros. We all know that smoking anything has carcinogenic activity, and not just for the lungs. I'm sure we also have all seen someone who's been smoking for decades. They appear much older than they are - similar to a chronic stimulant abuser. Let's agree that smoking long-term causes a general aging and unhealthful body, exacerbated a lot by adulterants. Evidence is beyond conclusive.
As for the brain, similar to the case of marijuana, the jury is out as to whether tobacco causes or alleviates mental illness, though in this case it would most likely be bi-polar disorder/depression, not psychotic depression/schizophrenia. Here's an interesting one:
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/196/6/425.full. I've read that tobacco simulates bi-polar disorder in the quick high and then low, which makes sense; that it does cause some noticeable brain damage in chain-smokers due to the accumulation of excessive carbon monoxide; that it is a risk factor for suicide (probably true); and that it may be neuroprotective overall, which after examining studies on tobacco and nicotine I currently am of the opinion. Tobacco in a relatively unadulterated form has been used by billions of people for thousands of years too. Now, again, to differentiate between organically grown tobacco and the pack of camels you pick up at Citgo, the sheer amount of added nasty chemicals added to the camels probably makes it overall neurotoxic, though the net effect on cognition is still probably beneficial. Nicotine is actually the only chemical I've read has rigorously been shown to improve cognition in healthy individuals. Here's good reading on the topic:
http://medicolegal.tripod.com/toxicchemicals.htm.
Detrimental effects of synthetic cannabinoids are present, as the media has certainly let us know. However, they present themselves severely in both a mental and physical sense, even after sporadic or single use, including kidney failure, seizures, cardiotoxicity, severe agitation and anxiety, uncomfortable hallucinations persisting psychosis...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21970775
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21802885
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.04078.x/abstract
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6206a1.htm
https://www.novapublishers.com/cata...33380&osCsid=72c65b3e6e04af9dd78d127ed5962638
Of course they've only been around a couple years really, with clinical trials being few or non-existent; the mechanism of action of synthetic cannabinoids also varies widely, so its hard to generalize, but most are full agonists (i.e. they can go way above and beyond what any weed smoking can do, good or bad). Weed also contains chemicals, albeit usually in small amounts, which attentuate the psychosis-inducing potential of THC, so overall 'noids are weed on 'roids.
I would expect, if short-term effects are any indication, that long-term effects of synthetic cannabinoid use would include almost total dissolution of the mind in 95%+ of users, as well as organ failure. This latter effect can be seen in smokers, but more than likely after decades of use. In contrast to 'noids, smoking tobacco long-term, as I indicated above, may preserve cognitive function; some say it can lead to dementia, however given its mechanisms I don't quite see how (more than likely this is just another media/governmental scare tactic). And then there's the question of purity. Synthetic cannabinoid blends, just as most tobacco products, contain unknown chemicals (some of which are probably psychoactive and toxic) and various confounding factors.
The main difference I'm finding is that smoking tobacco in its pure form is moderately physically unhealthy and mentally benign or healthy in the long run, whilst smoking synthetic cannabinoids, even in their pure form, can lead to the rapid disintegration on both levels of health, without warning.
So, no, smoking synthetic cannbinoids may only be called more safe than tobacco smoking as regards addiction, which is disputable itself.
I don't recommend using either of these substances. I already have enough psychotic problems which I attribute to weed, which will go away but with time and habitual actions, and have recently quit smoking. This response kind of triggered me, good thing I don't have money.
)), excluding fentanyl and analogues, LSD, etc.
