Is marijuana better than tobacco health wise?

In terms of health, marijuana helps people neurologically and mentally. On the other hand, smoking a single joint is the same as smoking 3-5 cigarettes in terms of lung damage. (Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/jul/31/drugsandalcohol.drugs) The biggest drawback to smoking marijuana versus cigarettes is basically breathing related. Even though cannabis possesses far less carcinogens then cigarettes, the fact that most joints are unfiltered compared with the fact that many cannabis smokers do not immediately exhale upon taking a drag improves the chances of developing respiratory issues.