Led by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the CDC, NCHS NHANES is a biannual program of studies designed to assess the health and nutritional status of grownups and kids in the U.S.
McGraw and colleagues associates categorized 7,254 survey study individuals use: non-marijuana/non-tobacco, exclusive marijuanaCannabis exclusive tobacco, and dual double and tobacco useUsage Marijuana is the third most frequently used drug in the world behind tobacco and alcohol. As of 2022, 21 states and Washington D.C., covering more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, have actually legislated recreational use of cannabis; and medical marijuana is legal in 38 states and Washington D.C. However, due to the fact that cannabis is still unlawful at the federal level, regulation of impurities in all cannabis-containing items stays piecemeal and there has actually been no assistance from federal regulative agencies like the FDA or EPA. As of 2019, 48.2 million people, or 18 percent of Americans, report using cannabis at least as soon as in the last year.
A current research study discovered significant levels of metals in the blood and urine of marijuana users, showing marijuana as a possible unacknowledged source of lead and cadmium exposure. This research, among the very first to connect self-reported marijuana usage with internal metal direct exposure, raises issues about public health, specifically as marijuana usage increases and federal guidelines stay irregular.
A Columbia University study found high metal levels in marijuana users blood and urine, highlighting potential health dangers and stressing the need for constant regulations.
Research study just recently carried out at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health spotted significant levels of metals in the blood and urine among marijuana users. The results recommend that cannabis might be an under-recognized and important source of lead and cadmium direct exposure.
This is amongst the very first research studies to report biomarker metal levels amongst cannabis users and probably the largest research study to date, that connects self-reported marijuana use to internal steps of metal exposure, rather than just taking a look at metal levels in the cannabis plant. The outcomes were published on August 30 in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Secret Findings
Measurements reported by participants for unique cannabis usage compared to nonmarijuana-tobacco had substantially higher lead levels in blood (1.27 ug/dL) and urine (1.21 ug/g creatinine)..
” Because the cannabis plant is a known scavenger of metals, we had actually assumed that people who utilize marijuana will have greater metal biomarker levels compared to those who do not use,” stated Katelyn McGraw, postdoctoral researcher in Columbia Public Healths Department of Environmental Health Sciences, and the very first author. “Our outcomes for that reason indicate cannabis provides cadmium and lead exposure.”.
Research study Methodology.
The scientists combined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for the years 2005-2018). Led by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the CDC, NCHS NHANES is a biannual program of studies designed to examine the health and nutritional status of grownups and children in the U.S.
McGraw and coworkers categorized the 7,254 study individuals by use: non-marijuana/non-tobacco, unique cannabis, special tobacco, and dual marijuana and tobacco usage. 5 metals were measured in the blood and 16 in urine.
The scientists utilized 4 NHANES variables to define special marijuana and tobacco usage: present cigarette smoking cigarettes, serum cotinine levels, self-reported ever marijuana use, and recent marijuana usage. Exclusive tobacco usage was defined as people who either addressed yes to do you now smoke cigarettes, or if individuals had a serum cotinine level >> 10ng/mL.
Cannabiss Prevalence and Regulation.
Cannabis is the 3rd most typically used drug worldwide behind tobacco and alcohol. As of 2022, 21 states and Washington D.C., covering more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, have legalized leisure usage of cannabis; and medical marijuana is legal in 38 states and Washington D.C. However, since marijuana is still unlawful at the federal level, regulation of contaminants in all cannabis-containing items remains piecemeal and there has been no guidance from federal regulative firms like the FDA or EPA. Since 2019, 48.2 million people, or 18 percent of Americans, report using marijuana at least once in the last year.
While 28 states regulate inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead, and total mercury concentrations in cannabis products, guideline limits vary by metal and by state..
” Going forward, research on cannabis usage and marijuana contaminants, especially metals, need to be conducted to attend to public health concerns associated with the growing number of marijuana users,” said Tiffany R. Sanchez, PhD, assistant teacher of ecological health sciences at Columbia Public Health, and senior author.
Recommendation: “Blood and Urinary Metal Levels amongst Exclusive Marijuana Users 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 Health Perspectives.DOI: 10.1289/ EHP12074.
Co-authors are Anne E. Nigra, Joshua Klett, Marisa Sobel, and Ana Navas-Acien, Columbia Public Health; Elizabeth C. Oelsner, Columbia University Irving Medical Center; and Xin Hu, Emory University School of Medicine.
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health grants P30ES009089 and T32ES007322.