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New studies show that people who use cannabis have more heavy metals like lead and cadmium in their blood and pee than those who don't use it.
This important study was published in the respected journal Environmental Health Perspectives. It found that cannabis users had 27% more lead in their blood and 11% more in their pee compared to non-users. They also had 22% more cadmium in their blood and 18% more in their pee.
Dr. Tiffany Sanchez from Columbia University told CNN that these metals stay in our bodies for a long time. She said, "Lead and cadmium stay in the human body for a while."
Cadmium, once it's in our kidneys, comes out through our pee. So, testing pee can show how much cadmium someone has been exposed to over time.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has always said that any amount of lead is harmful. Even though less people are getting exposed to lead nowadays, the EPA still says it can hurt our health. The EPA also says that cadmium can cause health problems, like kidney issues and lung cancer. They've set strict limits for how much cadmium can be in food and air.
The study also found that cannabis might be a way that these metals get into our bodies. It says we need more research to understand this link. The study looked at blood and pee samples from 7,254 people who said they used cannabis in the last month.
Dr. Sanchez said the study was special because it looked at the metal in cannabis plants, not just the users. But, the study couldn't tell if people used cannabis for medicine or just for fun. They say more studies are needed for this.
A report from 2021 says that 61 million Americans above 12 years old have used illegal drugs. Cannabis is the most popular, with 52.5 million people using it that year.