Cannabis can contain heavy metals and can harm consumer health, study results show

By Nicolas Jose Rodriguez

Cannabis plants have an inherent ability to absorb heavy metals from the soil, making them useful for cleaning up contaminated sites. But this ability to ingest toxic metals can also make cannabis dangerous for consumers who ingest it.

A new analysis, led by Penn State researchers, examines the ability of cannabis plants to absorb heavy metals and discusses the resulting health effects on consumers. The team is proposing a blueprint of strategies for farmers to reduce the uptake of heavy metals by their crops, medicalxpress.com reported

Photo by Anton Petrus / Getty Images

“Heavy metals like lead are known to cause cancer,” said Louis Bengyella, assistant professor of plant science at Penn State, who noted that “consumers may be unknowingly exposed to these toxic metals,” which he described as “particularly problematic” for cancer patients who use medical marijuana use to treat nausea and pain associated with their treatments. “

Heavy metals can cause cancer and neurological problems

“The problem is, we are unknowingly exposing consumers to heavy metals when we use these strains, which are designed for phytoremediation (to remove pollutants from soil, water or air).

The team found that the heavy metal contamination in cannabis can cause various health problems as the heavy metals accumulate in certain areas of the human body, causing cancer and neurological problems.

They also found that heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and chromium are able to be transported and distributed through the stem and into the leaves and flowers of the plant. These heavy metals then leave the plant through trichomes, which are hair-like structures on the flowers. Their results were published in a recent issue of Toxin Reviews.

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“Trichomes are important because they store the CBD oil and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) consumers want. This led us to wonder if these heavy metals are present at the trichome level, what can they do to humans? ”Said Bengyella, who added that“ Cannabis consumed in flammable form is the greatest threat to human health represents, since the analysis of heavy metals in cannabis smoke the presence of heavy metals like selenium, mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel and arsenic. “

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The report’s authors argue that applying best agricultural practices, such as avoiding industrial sites and performing a pH test of the soil, can mitigate heavy metal contamination, as pH can affect the amount of heavy metals a plant absorbs.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.