A current examine found important ranges of metals within the blood and urine of marijuana customers, indicating marijuana as a potential unrecognized supply of lead and cadmium publicity. This analysis, among the many first to hyperlink self-reported marijuana use with inner steel publicity, raises issues about public well being, particularly as marijuana consumption rises and federal laws stay inconsistent.
A Columbia College examine discovered excessive steel ranges in marijuana customers’ blood and urine, highlighting potential well being dangers and emphasizing the necessity for constant laws.
Analysis lately carried out at Columbia College Mailman Faculty of Public Well being detected important ranges of metals within the blood and urine amongst marijuana customers. The outcomes recommend that marijuana could also be an essential 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 probably the biggest examine thus far, that hyperlinks self-reported marijuana use to inner measures of steel publicity, reasonably than simply taking a look at steel ranges within the hashish plant. The outcomes had been printed on August 30 within the journal Environmental Well being Views.
Key Findings
Measurements reported by contributors for unique marijuana use in comparison with nonmarijuana-tobacco had considerably increased lead ranges in blood (1.27 ug/dL) and urine (1.21 ug/g creatinine).
“As a result of the hashish plant is a recognized scavenger of metals, we had hypothesized that people who use marijuana could have increased steel biomarker ranges in comparison with those that don’t use,” stated 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.”
Analysis Methodology
The researchers mixed information from the Nationwide Well being and Diet Examination Survey for the years 2005-2018). Led by the Nationwide Heart 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 categorised the 7,254 survey contributors 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’s Prevalence and Regulation
Marijuana is the third mostly used drug on the planet behind tobacco and alcohol. As of 2022, 21 states and Washington D.C., protecting greater than 50 p.c 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 businesses just like the FDA or EPA. As of 2019, 48.2 million folks, or 18 p.c of Individuals, report utilizing marijuana no less than as soon as within the final yr.
Whereas 28 states regulate inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead, and whole mercury concentrations in marijuana merchandise, regulation limits fluctuate by steel and by state.
“Going ahead, analysis on hashish use and hashish contaminants, notably metals, ought to be carried out to deal with public well being issues associated to the rising variety of hashish customers,” stated Tiffany R. Sanchez, PhD, assistant professor of environmental well being sciences at Columbia Public Well being, and senior creator.
Reference: “Blood and Urinary Steel Ranges amongst Unique Marijuana Customers in NHANES (2005–2018)” by Katlyn E. McGraw, Anne E. Nigra, Joshua Klett, Marisa Sobel, Elizabeth C. Oelsner, Ana Navas-Acien, Xin Hu and Tiffany R. Sanchez, 30 August 2023, Environmental Well being Views.
DOI: 10.1289/EHP12074
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 Heart; and Xin Hu, Emory College Faculty of Medication.
The examine was supported by the Nationwide Institutes of Well being (NIH) Nationwide Institute of Environmental Well being grants P30ES009089 and T32ES007322.
