WeeklySA_AdminJOINT: Chemists find unhealthy levels of metals during a study of 53 samples of the stuff…
By Bob Yirka
A team of chemists has found that some cannabis rolling papers contain high levels of heavy metals, which could be hazardous to smokers.
The team, from Lake Superior State University, made the findings with colleagues from Wayne State University, both in Michigan, and representatives from JEOL U.S., a lab equipment maker.
In their paper published in the journal ACS Omega, the group describes their analysis of many samples of several different types of cannabis rolling papers. People who smoke marijuana use three main methods to burn the product: use a bong or a pipe or roll it in paper and smoke it as a joint.
Prior research, published in September last year, had shown that some marijuana has some amount of heavy metals in it, which could prove to be a health hazard for smokers, particularly for those who smoke often.
It warned that marijuana smokers might be unknowingly at risk, adding that heavy metals accumulated in the body and had been linked to a host of health issues including cancer, cognitive impairment, and heart disease. Because of this, many American states enacted laws regulating such levels.In the latest study of health risks posed by some rolling appears, the researchers noted that very little research has been done regarding burnable cones or the paper that is used to make joints to see if they are safe to use in this way. The team conducted tests in their lab to measure the amounts of heavy metals they contain.
The work by the group involved purchasing 53 commercially available samples of papers and cones and taking them back to their lab for testing. They noted that many of the papers they purchased had been coloured to make them appear more pleasing than the standard white.
The researchers looked for the presence of 26 elements in the papers that could pose a health hazard, most of which were heavy metals. Standard chemistry tests measured the levels of such elements, which included burning samples to see if the heavy metals were present in the smoke that would enter the lungs of a user.
The researchers found mixed results. Heavy metal levels were very low in some samples, and very high in others, some of which they suggested, could present a health hazard for heavy users. High levels of copper were found in many of the coloured papers, likely due to the pigments used.
The team concludes by noting that it would not be very difficult for makers of such products to remove heavy metals during the production process. They suggest state lawmakers take note of their findings and enact laws to force the makers of such products to reduce heavy metals to safe levels.
Meanwhile, in last year’s study, researchers warned marijuana smokers might unknowingly be consuming heavy metals. Heavy metals, entering through the bloodstream, accumulated in the body and have been linked to a host of health issues including cancer, cognitive impairment, and heart disease.
This particular research was published in September last year in the Environmental Health Perspectives, and found that adults who consumed marijuana had significantly higher levels of two metals associated with long-term health issues: lead and cadmium.
“Cadmium and lead stay in the body for years, long after exposure ends,” said research leader Dr Tiffany Sanchez, an assistant professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health in an interview with Health at the time.
In order to understand whether or not heavy metals are associated with marijuana use, Sanchez and her team tested blood and urine samples from 7 200 adults who were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of those, 358 had reported using marijuana within the past 30 days. They tested blood samples for five metals; they tested urine samples for 16 metals.
Since tobacco use has been associated with higher levels of heavy metals in the body, the researchers also tested the samples for an alkaloid found in tobacco but not cannabis, called cotinine. They then adjusted the data to be sure they could determine how marijuana use alone contributed to heavy metal consumption.
The data revealed that people who used marijuana, regardless of whether they used tobacco, had 27% higher blood lead levels than those who did not report using either marijuana or tobacco. They also had 22% higher levels of cadmium.
In June of last year, the American Heart Association (AHA) published a statement noting that both lead and cadmium increase a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease and stroke.5
Ultimately, the marijuana plant is uniquely suited to contain higher amounts of heavy metals than your average plant—no matter how it’s broken down to be consumed. Cannabis is naturally adept at absorbing heavy metals from the soil in which it’s grown, where both cadmium and lead naturally exist, says Sanchez, making the plant a ‘hyper-accumulator.’
These heavy metals are stored in the leaves and flowers of the plant—the part that’s used as a drug. – Additional reporting by Health
