Study finds high blood and urinary metal levels among exclusive marijuana users

Analysis carried out at Columbia College Mailman College of Public Well being detected important ranges of metals within the blood and urine amongst marijuana customers, concluding that marijuana could also be an vital and under-recognized supply of lead and cadmium publicity.

That is among the many first research to report biomarker steel ranges amongst marijuana customers and most certainly the most important examine to this point, that hyperlinks self-reported marijuana use to inside measures of steel publicity, moderately than simply steel ranges within the hashish plant. The outcomes are revealed on-line within the journal Environmental Well being Views,

Measurements reported by members for unique marijuana use in comparison with non-marijuana tobacco had considerably greater lead ranges in blood (1.27 ug/dL) and urine (1.21 ug/g creatinine).

“As a result of the hashish plant is a identified scavenger of metals, we had hypothesized that people who use marijuana can have greater steel biomarker ranges in comparison with those that don’t use,” mentioned Katelyn McGraw, postdoctoral researcher in Columbia Public Well being’s Division of Environmental Well being Sciences, and the primary creator. “Our outcomes due to this fact point out marijuana is a supply of cadmium and lead publicity.”

The researchers mixed knowledge from the Nationwide Well being and Vitamin Examination Survey for the years 2005–2018. Led by the Nationwide Middle for Well being Statistics (NCHS) on the CDC, NCHS NHANES is a biannual program of research designed to evaluate the well being and dietary standing of adults and youngsters within the U. S.

McGraw and colleagues categorized the 7,254 survey members by use: non-marijuana/non-tobacco, unique marijuana, unique tobacco, and twin marijuana and tobacco use. 5 metals had been measured within the blood and 16 in urine.

The researchers used 4 NHANES variables to outline unique marijuana and tobacco use: present cigarette smoking, serum cotinine ranges, self-reported ever marijuana use, and up to date marijuana use. Unique tobacco use was outlined as people who both answered sure to ‘do you now smoke cigarettes, or if people had a serum cotinine stage >10ng/mL.

Marijuana is the third mostly used drug on the earth behind tobacco and alcohol. As of 2022, 21 states and Washington D.C., protecting greater than 50% of the U.S. inhabitants, have legalized leisure use of marijuana; and medical marijuana is authorized in 38 states and Washington D.C.

Nonetheless, as a result of marijuana continues to be unlawful on the federal stage, regulation of contaminants in all cannabis-containing merchandise stays piecemeal and there was no steering from federal regulatory companies just like the FDA or EPA. As of 2019, 48.2 million individuals, or 18% of People, report utilizing marijuana a minimum of as soon as within the final yr.

Whereas 28 states regulate inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead, and whole mercury concentrations in marijuana merchandise, regulation limits range by steel and by state.

“Going ahead, analysis on hashish use and hashish contaminants, notably metals, must be carried out to handle public well being considerations associated to the rising variety of hashish customers,” mentioned Tiffany R. Sanchez, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental well being sciences at Columbia Public Well being, and senior creator.

Co-authors are Anne E. Nigra, Joshua Klett, Marisa Sobel, and Ana Navas-Acien, Columbia Public Well being; Elizabeth C. Oelsner, Columbia College Irving Medical Middle; and Xin Hu, Emory College College of Drugs.