Marijuana smoking exposes you to low levels of the same toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke

Smoking marijuana exposes the body to some of the same toxic chemicals released from tobacco, but at lower levels, according to a new study.

Scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed the levels of several dangerous chemicals in the blood and urine of 245 volunteers.

Some of the volunteers did not smoke, others smoked weeds or tobacco, and the dome smoked a combination of both.

They found that those who smoked only marijuana still had more smoke-related toxic chemicals in their system – but at lower levels than those who smoked or smoked only tobacco.

These include naphthalene, acrylonitrile and acrylamide – toxic chemicals that can cause liver damage, are linked to cancer and a number of other health problems, the researchers say.

However, another chemical, acrolein, which is known to contribute to cardiovascular disease in tobacco smokers – has only grown with tobacco smoking, not marijuana.

The team says reducing acrolein exposure from tobacco smoking and other sources could be a strategy to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Marijuana use is on the rise in the United States, with a growing number of states legalizing it for medical and non-medical purposes – including five other states in the 2020 elections.

“The increase has raised concerns about the potential health effects of marijuana smoke, which are known to contain some of the same toxic combustion products found in tobacco smoke,” said lead author Dana Gabuzda, MD, of Dana-Farber.

“This is the first study to compare exposure to acrolein and other harmful smoke-related chemicals over time in exclusive marijuana smokers and tobacco smokers and to see if those exposures are related to cardiovascular disease.”

The study involved 245 HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants in three studies of HIV infection in the United States. People infected with HIV were used because of the high rate of tobacco and marijuana smoking in this group.

The researchers collected data from participants’ medical records and survey results and analyzed their blood and urine samples to find substances produced by the breakdown of nicotine or the burning of tobacco or marijuana.

The combination of these data sets allowed them to track the presence of specific toxic chemicals in tobacco or marijuana smoking.

They were also able to see if any of them were associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Acrylamide, one of the chemicals found in both tobacco and marijuana smoke, is used in the manufacture of paper, plastics and dyes and is produced when vegetables are heated to a high temperature.

The chemical is considered “probably human carcinogen” by the US National Toxicology Program and the American Cancer Society.

Meanwhile, acrylonitrile, found as a by-product of weed and tobacco smoking, is used in the manufacture of plastics and fibers.

The World Health Organization has said that cigarette smoke can be a significant source of acrylonitrile in indoor air pollution and is seen as a likely carcinogen.

Investigators also suggest that high levels of acrolein, found in tobacco smokers, may be a sign of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and that reduced chemical exposure could reduce the risk.

This is important for people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, given the high rates of tobacco smoking and the increased risk of heart disease in this group.

Our findings suggest that high levels of acrolein can be used to identify patients at high cardiovascular risk, Gabuzda said, and that reducing acrolein exposure from tobacco smoking and other sources could be a strategy to reduce risk.

The findings were published in the journal EClinicalMedicine.