Using cannabis, even for medicinal purposes, could make some people sick as a result of harmful fungi that contaminate the plants.
That's the finding of a recently published peer-reviewed journal article, whose authors recommend further study and consideration of changes in regulations to guard consumers, especially those with compromised immune systems. are deprived They reviewed data, previous studies, and US and international regulations related to hemp and the hemp industry.
The article was published. It was researched and written by University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture professors of entomology and plant pathology: Maxwell Leung, assistant professor, and Ariel Stephens, graduate student, each from Arizona State University's School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences. ; and Zameer Panja, Professor of Plant Pathology/Biotechnology at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
“Hemp and hemp are recent crops, and we’re within the early stages of understanding their relationship with pathogens. Many pathogens produce mycotoxins, compounds which have hostile effects on human health and are regulated in other crops. This In the review, we summarize the present literature. Mycotoxins in hemp and hemp products discover research gaps in hemp and potential mycotoxin contamination in hemp, and potential based on research in other cropping systems. indicate progress.
Cannabis research has mostly focused on the plant's substance and medicinal uses, but with the legalization of cannabis for various uses, this text addresses the necessity for further study of potential health risks.
“Although fungi and mycotoxins are common and well-studied contaminants in lots of agricultural crop species, they’re generally understudied in hemp and hemp. One reason is that food and pharmaceuticals are regulated. Human health risk assessment methods haven’t yet been standardized for the emerging hemp and hemp industries. Estimating and managing the human health risk of those contaminants is uniquely difficult for clinical use in patients.
Authors , , , , and others discuss fungi that may infect plants and produce mycotoxins. Review pollutant regulations and assessment methods; and make recommendations to develop safer products for all consumers. Environmental aspects akin to where plants are grown, whether indoors or outdoors, and in soil or soilless media, can affect the kinds of contamination and the resulting health risks.
Studies reviewed by the authors showed that some fungi could cause infections in lung and skin tissues, and that these infections were most typical when smoked and fewer common in foods. . They also found that cancer patients using cannabis to assist with nausea and hunger, in addition to transplant patients and users with HIV and sort 1 diabetes, were particularly vulnerable to infection. Studies also show that staff who harvest hemp can also be in danger. The authors encourage consumers who’re immunocompromised to make use of products which were sterilized until higher data can be found.
The authors studied international and US standards for these pollutants, but data on the prevalence of pollutants and their health effects are lacking. Another problem for consumers is the various levels of legalization of cannabis products from state to state, leading to each state creating its own regulations. Mycotoxins, a prevalent class of fungal contaminants in agricultural commodities that can lead to vomiting, are usually not currently regulated.
Pathogens may be difficult to evaluate and evaluate, because the authors found once they studied quite a lot of methods, including culture-based assays, immuno-based technologies, and emerging technologies. The article also examines pre-harvest and post-harvest management of potential toxins. “A major obstacle facing hemp and the hemp industries is the disconnect between production-related issues and human safety issues,” the article states. Cannabis and recreational cannabis use are common in lots of areas and all but certainly one of the case studies linking cannabis use and fungal infection involved patients who were immunocompromised. One possible solution, the authors suggest, is to “create a two-tiered system to reduce the potential harm to medical users of cannabis from toxic fungi that separates products intended for medical and recreational use.” separates.”
“We wrote this text to bring these issues to the eye of the scientific, clinical and regulatory communities. We hope to encourage further research on this area, particularly within the areas of mycotoxins in produce. Better data And public access to the info will allow us to completely assess these risks after which ensure safer products for consumers,” Gwen said.