Inhaling any burned plant material causes a slight increase in (primarily lung) cancer risk.
Inhaling burned tobacco has an above average ability to cause cancer.
Common commercial cigarettes, in general, have other ingredients that become carcinogenic when burned.
Nicotine, while not directly cancer causing, depresses the immune response in the affected areas, increasing cancer risk in those areas. This also affects chew, gum, inhalers, etc. Due to the nature of the rapid regeneration of the mouth and throat, this is likely a significant factor in the increased caused risk for chewed tobacco.
Additionally, chewed tobacco can cause Leukoplakia, which increases the risk of Oral cancer.
Cancer risk (most to least): Smoking, chew/dip, inhalers, gum, snuff.
It may be good to be a geek, but looking at those who took the path of self-destruction is not a good judgement on drug use or socialization (with those profoundly different). When one seeking knowledge does drugs, they usually become bored of the escapism quickly (unless they are depressed, or hate their life, etc to the extent that they would rather never accotiate with another human, and retreats into themself), and finds the other use of psychoactive substances: 'Hacking' the mind. Different psychoactive substances highlight different parts of the mind, some open doors, some help you understand others, most[NOT ALL!!!] have value if you learn from the experiences like you learned to use a computer. Socializing with those profoundly different then yourself can teach you things about yourself you could never learn alone.
Of the people I commonly interact with, maybe 10% are 'geeks' (in the stereotypical sense) and the rest run the gambit, from cleptomania, to borderline psychotic to bipolar to disturbingly happy and sure of there own 'normalness' and everything inbetween.
I've learned something from these people: sanity, normality and reality, are all subjective; defining people into groups is pointless and damaging. Being sure of your own superiority for taking a more societally acceptable path no doubt is 'normal' to you, but there are many on this earth who would rather die a thousand deaths then spend more then the tiniest fraction of their lives coding or solving problems in a 'made up world'.
Do what makes you happy, or what makes you feel fufilled, or fill whatever else your need might be. But don't judge others for doing the same.
I do not know you, and cannot judge you, but I would recommend, however, that if you truely have a desire for knowledge, to endevour to understand why others choose the path of feel-goodism and why others shun the path of knowledge and understanding (and the many other paths for that matter, but this one is likely particularily relevent). (Look beyond, they are duped, or they have problem x)
All companies begin to act evil after they have a certain amount of control. No exceptions, some are just slower or have greater thresholds then others (google).
Given the divisive replies I received when bringing up the virtues of psychedelic/entheogen use on this site, I think the author may be on to something (despite his overgeneralizations and obvious ulterior motive).
I did not nessicarily mean to claim any of the posted wisdom was my own, although some of it was atleast 'compiled' by me.
The grandparent has dismissed what I said as 'crap' created by my 'unjustified feeling of the profundity[sic]'. Interestingly, since these words stemed from eastern religion, from philosophy and even from common sense and reasoning (as well as my own personal experiences, and the words and works of psychedelic researchers) all these things too must be 'crap' that could only make sense after the 'delusions of drug use', after all:
"Biggest argument against taking drugs: they'll make you think that crap like that is "wisdom"."
PS: The path of blind rejectionism may be comfortable, it may be culturally encoraged, but as history has shown, it is inevitably a dead-end route.
And yet you do DMT everytime you sleep (most likely), and certainly it is released during near death experiences. Unlike all of the other substances mentioned it is is produced by the human brain, and is the cause of many natural brain states.
(I do not, of course, recommend anyone go out and try DMT without first experiencing other psychedelics in the order given, or in fact without doing the research.)
Psychedelic use is not to be taken lightly. It is not a form of recreation (shouldn't be), it is a method of deep introspection, of breaking down mental barriers, a journey within yourself (among other things which really cannot be explained until you have reached the state of understanding that usually occurs with mush or mescaline use. This too is not an absolute, but is common to most peoples 'route' in this journey.)
Use of entheogens is, of course, not the only route to these states, tantric yoga can perform the same function as cannabis, and years (or decades) of deep meditation can take replace the use of mush, LSD and DMT.
Psychedelics are counter-addictive. They are only abused by those who have severe problems with generally 'abusing' anything that makes them feel good (and psychedelics don't 'make you feel good', they simply remove the mental barriers allowing you to feel that way if you so choose). All substances mentioned with the exception of LSD exist in nature, DMT is produced in the human brain and is responsible for near death experiences, and possibly dreams (and is the most powerful psychedelic listed; claims that psychedelia is unnatural are unfounded). LSD is highly similar to LSA (which occurs naturally). There are not issues with 'biological reactions' with these substances, except issues that cause mush to be far more potent on some individuals (start with a .25 gram dose [will do basically nothing in 99% of people, but will let you know if you are hypersensitive]). The only long term 'issues' people develop from long term psychedelic use, are creations of their own minds. When mental barriers are broken down, when you /truely/ have control of your mind-- its just like having root access, do something wrong and you might fuck something up. Do whats natural, nothing you see, think or feel on psychedelics is anything but natural.
Smoke weed (or do tantric yoga) until you become conscious on a new level (you'll know when you have, if you have difficulties smoke more stronger weed, hash, oil, use a vapourizer or take it orally after extracting it with fat (bake < 300f) or alcohol).
Take mush (of the psilocybin variety) until you understand the nature of the change in consciousness created by the mary jane.
(you can try mescaline anytime after mush if you so wish, it will likely help you either understand the changes or find the connection, but would likely be counterproductive before mush is taken in a significant dose)
Take LSD until you feel an unshakable connection to the universe (start with a massive dose, theres no time like the first, listen to The Beatles [anything after Help! is best] and The Doors for assistance 'breaking on through to the otherside').
Then smoke DMT until you reach 'DMT hyperspace'. (Do not let fire touch the DMT, only touch the flame to the glass [and even then not /right/ under the DMT] take big hits you gotta take 3 big hits and hold them in before you become unable to smoke [mildly difficult]; keep trying.)
At this point you will understand your consciousness in a way science could never teach you, and you won't have to ask us anything about what you should do, you will already
know.
Inhaling burned tobacco has an above average ability to cause cancer.
Common commercial cigarettes, in general, have other ingredients that become carcinogenic when burned.
Nicotine, while not directly cancer causing, depresses the immune response in the affected areas, increasing cancer risk in those areas. This also affects chew, gum, inhalers, etc. Due to the nature of the rapid regeneration of the mouth and throat, this is likely a significant factor in the increased caused risk for chewed tobacco.
Additionally, chewed tobacco can cause Leukoplakia, which increases the risk of Oral cancer.
Cancer risk (most to least): Smoking, chew/dip, inhalers, gum, snuff.