Second part of the text in which six key aspects related to the quality of cannabis are discussed. This part deals with the microbiological quality, the identification of heavy metals and the residual pesticide content.
If we have information about the plant’s growing process, the treatments and care any which cannabis sample has received, our ability to reduce the risks and enhance the pleasure of cannabis consumption will rise correspondingly. In the first part of the text we talked about the cannabinoid profile, the terpene profile and the issue of humidity. In this post we will examine three further aspects related to the quality of cannabis.
Microbiological quality
Potential contamination of a cannabis sample with microorganisms may put the consumer at risk. Actually, we are talking about contaminants similar to those found in ordinary consumer products. Among the worst that can be found in cannabis, there is mould, mildew, a fungus called Aspergillus, bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria (BTGN), Salmonella, yeast and other dangerous microbes. All of these are associated with health risks.
Exposure to mould and mildew may cause coughing fits, chest pains, allergic reactions and fatigue. Consuming cannabis buds or samples contaminated with microbes may lead to even worse outcomes, such as bacterial infections, exacerbation of asthma symptoms, worsening of autoimmune diseases, and even pneumonia, which can be very serious. If the person smoking such cannabis has a prior illness, risks are multiplied.
The microbiological quality of cannabis informs us of how it has been grown, processed and preserved. The most common contaminant in marijuana is mould. Consuming such marijuana leads the consumer to ingest, smoke or vape hundreds of thousands of harmful microbial spores. If the person does not detect this from its unpleasant taste, they run the risk of being hospitalised for a lung infection. Inadequate care or storage of cannabis create favourable conditions for mould to grow. Excess humidity during growth can also lead to the appearance of mould. So, at the slightest sign of mould, the sample must be disposed of immediately. A pocket microscope can spot the presence of mould and other pathogens.
Identification of heavy metals
During their growth process, cannabis and hemp plants are known to be hyperaccumulators of heavy metals, for example, lead (Pb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg). These can originate from the resources used for their growth: the soil, the water used for irrigation, or the fertilisers and nutrients. In fact, cannabis crops can be used for phytoremediation, as the plant literally sucks heavy metal pollutants from the soil through the roots to the stems and buds. Tomato plants and some geranium species also do this. In fact, hemp plants were used in Chernobyl to help remove dangerous radioactive elements such as strontium and caesium from the soil.
It is to be inferred from all the above that it is essential to monitor contaminant levels in order to guarantee that, like any other consumer product, cannabis is safe for consumption. Regular consumption of plants contaminated with heavy metals can cause headaches, nausea, failure of certain vital organs and cancer in cases of prolonged exposure or extreme accumulation of heavy metals in the body. In California, where cannabis quality is strictly regulated, cannabis products are considered safe for consumption only if the four heavy metals mentioned above have levels below those established by law.
Residual pesticide content
Beyond fertilisers, it was the discovery of biocides that drove an agricultural revolution starting in the second half of the 20th century: herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Since then, in spite of their success, there have been innumerable cases of harmful reactions and effects on the health of humans and other life forms exposed to them.
During their growth, cannabis plants may be attacked by a myriad of pests and diseases that are usually countered through the use of chemicals. Cannabis buds can become contaminated with these products due to direct application of pesticides on the flowering plants or by contaminants from neighbouring fields where other food crops are being grown. As marijuana growing is not subject to any regulation, there are no checks on the use of these products. So, consuming cannabis bought on the informal market implies taking part in an uncontrolled experiment on exposure to possible contamination with pesticides. The fact is that, even if pesticides approved for other crops possibly similar are used, there are no studies on these pesticides’ effects on human health when they are burned and then inhaled. Actually, pesticides are everywhere. We breathe them in the air around us. It’s a question of quantity. Once again, the dividing line between safe and poisonous depends on the dose.
It is true that many people try to grow cannabis organically – in the case of cannabis, it has not been defined what exactly this consists of – and that, to that end, they only use ecological products. Even so, there is the risk that the clones they use or the parent plants they come from have been treated with pesticides. Therefore, it is capital to know whether or not the plant has been grown from a seed in order to reduce any risk of potential contamination. California has one of the strictest body of regulations on the use of pesticides for growing cannabis.
As awareness of this issue grows, more knowledge and experience becomes available on beneficial insects, such as ladybirds and green chrysopes, which can combat pests without the inherent risks of conventional pesticides.
It is fundamental to know that cannabis extracts also accumulate pesticides and, precisely because they are concentrates, they can hold quantities that exceed the recommended limits, even though they might not be detectable in the plant matter they are made from. The risk of absorbing residual pesticides is much higher in extracts than in marijuana buds.
A collateral factor that should be taken into account is that the use of pesticides in cannabis growing for the informal market may also give rise to environmental risks. Applying excessive quantities of chemicals and using products irresponsibly may cause toxic run-offs into local rivers and streams, poisoning insects, fish and fauna. On the other hand, growing cannabis indoors has an enormous carbon footprint for every gramme produced. So we can see that there is still a lot more that can be done to reduce the environmental impact of so-called illicit crops.
Therefore, as things stand at present, the only way we can really be certain which cannabis products are pesticide-free is by running verified laboratory tests. If consumers become more knowledgeable about this quality side and make it matter, the market supply will need to adapt to the new demands as much as it can.
Comenta