Scientists from Columbia University (CU) found that many marijuana and tobacco users have high levels of cadmium, mercury and lead in their bodies. The research was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs worldwide. The cannabis plant is a scavenger of metals found in soil, fertilizer, water and pesticides. High concentrations of metals have been found in unfiltered marijuana smoke and vaping devices.
The new analysis included data from the NHANES study collected between 2005 and 2018. Of the 70,190 participants identified during the study period, 10,921 provided data on metals found in blood and urine samples. 7254 participants over the age of 18 were included in the final analysis.
Regular marijuana users had higher levels of cadmium, mercury and lead in their blood and urine, especially those who used the drug within seven days before biosample collection.
However, cadmium levels were significantly higher in tobacco users. This difference may be due to differences in frequency of use or different accumulations of the metal in tobacco and cannabis plants.
Women who used marijuana had higher urinary cadmium levels than men. Tobacco use alone was also associated with higher concentrations of antimony, barium, cadmium, lead, tungsten and uranium.
The long-term effects of these metals on human health need to be evaluated in the future. The scientists concluded that the presence of other marijuana contaminants should also be investigated to understand their effects on the health of marijuana users.
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