Marijuana sales have been trending upwards in U.S. states where it’s legal, and analysts expect more growth in the sector this year and into the future. The spike in sales, however, is also leading some to question the long- and short-term health effects of cannabis consumption.

Hunter Lustgarten has been using marijuana for about five years. He now smokes every day.

“I just think at the end of the day, it's nice to sit back and unwind and smoke, and that's my way to relax,” Lustgarten said.

He places cannabis orders one to two times a week to try a variety of products.

“I’d honestly rather just grab a couple of joints or something and get through everything until I really find what I like,” Lustgarten said.

Chief Operating Officer of Big Gas Dispensary Zymia Lewis said many of their customers are experimenting the same way.

“Some people like something that's low and mellow, or some people just like things that they could just use outside,” Lewis said.

R. Lorraine Collins, director of University at Buffalo’s Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, has been studying cannabis for nearly two decades and has found both benefits and risks.

“The big difference between smoking and ingesting, or edibles, has to do with how quick a high people get,” Collins said.

Collins said sometimes the pros of using can outweigh the cons, such as when it comes to pain relief. Other times, like with smoking or vaping cannabis products, Collins said there is risk of lung damage. And while the lungs aren’t involved with edibles, she said people need to be careful with intake of those as well.

“What often is recommended from a public health perspective is to start low, which is a low dose of THC that also includes CBD,” Collins said. “So, a nice ratio where things are balanced and then slowly build.”

Lustgarten said he’s aware of the risks, and that there are more benefits to him than not.

“For me, personally, I don't really have any negative effects from smoking weed. I get all my work done. I do what I need to do and I'm super productive. But for some other people, it might not work that way,” Lustgarten said.

Collins said cannabis users should get their products from well-regulated medical dispensaries or retail outlets and stay away from the illegal market.