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Salthammer T. The legalization of cannabis may result in increased indoor exposure to Δ 9-tetrahydrocannabinol. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 464:132949. [PMID: 37976847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis is a genus of plants in the Cannabaceae family that contains tetrahydrocannabinolic acid. When heated or burned, the acid decarboxylates to form tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Its (-)-trans-Δ9-THC isomer is a psychoactive substance that has been used as a drug for centuries. In most countries, both the private sale of cannabis products and their use for non-medical purposes are still prohibited by law. However, for some time now there has been societal and political pressure to at least partially legalize cannabis products. It can be expected that such a measure will lead to a significant increase in the consumption of cannabis. However, this also increases the possibility of involuntary passive exposure to THC and contamination of the indoor environment. In indoor sciences, THC is still a largely unknown or underrepresented substance. In this perspective paper, THC will therefore first be presented on the basis of its physical properties. Then, the distribution of THC in different indoor compartments and potential routes of passive exposure are discussed. Finally, an assessment of the future importance of THC for indoor use is made. Previous experience has shown that early monitoring is always advantageous so that preventive and protective measures can be taken quickly if necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tunga Salthammer
- Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry, Fraunhofer WKI, 38108 Braunschweig, Germany.
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Tripathi O, Posis AIB, Thompson CA, Ferris J, Anuskiewicz B, Nguyen B, Liles S, Berardi V, Zhu SH, Winstock A, Bellettiere J. In-Home Cannabis Smoking Among a Cannabis-Using Convenience Sample from the Global Drug Survey: With Weighted Estimates for U.S. Respondents. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:353-362. [PMID: 36318789 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Secondhand and thirdhand tobacco smoke exposure most often occur at home, but little is known about occurrences of in-home cannabis smoking. We ascertained in-home cannabis smoking reported by all cannabis-using (i.e., used in the last 12 months) respondents to the Global Drug Survey (GDS; international-GDS sample), and among U.S. cannabis-using respondents (US-GDS sample). Materials and Methods: We used data collected November 2019-January 2020 for the 2020 GDS, an annual anonymous, cross-sectional survey; respondents were 16+ years old, from 191 countries. We estimated any and daily in-home cannabis smoking in the last 30 days among international-GDS respondents (n=63,797), using mixed effects logistic regression. US-GDS respondents (n=6,580) were weighted to the covariate distribution of the nationally representative 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health cannabis-using sample, using inverse odds probability weighting, to make estimates more generalizable to the U.S. cannabis-using population. Results: For the international-GDS cannabis-using respondents, any in-home cannabis smoking was reported by 63.9% of men, 61.9% of women, and 68.6% of nonbinary people; and by age (<25 years old=62.7%, 25-34 years old=65.0%, and 35+ years old=62.8%). Daily in-home cannabis smoking was highest among nonbinary (28.7%) and respondents 35+ years of age (28.0%). For the weighted US-GDS cannabis-using respondents, any in-home cannabis smoking was reported by 49.8% of males and 61.2% of females; and by age (<25 years old=62.6%, 25-34 years old=41.8%, 35+ years old=57.9%). Weighted daily in-home smoking was 23.2% among males and 37.1% among females; by age (<25 years old=34.8%, 25-34 years old=27.8%, and 35+ years old=21.6%). Conclusions: There was high daily cannabis smoking in homes of international-GDS and US-GDS respondents who used cannabis in the last 12 months. In part, due to cannabis legalization, the number of users worldwide has increased over the past decade. Criminal stigma historically associated with cannabis continues to drive those users indoors. In this context, our findings support further investigation of cannabis use behavior to understand how often people are exposed to secondhand and thirdhand cannabis smoke and the consequences of that exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osika Tripathi
- The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Alexander Ivan B Posis
- The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Caroline A Thompson
- The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Jason Ferris
- Centre for Health Services Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Blake Anuskiewicz
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Benjamin Nguyen
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Sandy Liles
- The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Vincent Berardi
- Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, Psychology, Chapman University, Orange, California, USA
| | - Shu-Hong Zhu
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Adam Winstock
- Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, University College, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Bellettiere
- San Diego State University School of Public Health, San Diego, California, USA
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Ott WR, Wallace LA, Cheng KC, Hildemann LM. Measuring PM 2.5 concentrations from secondhand tobacco vs. marijuana smoke in 9 rooms of a detached 2-story house. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158244. [PMID: 36037897 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The widespread legalization of recreational marijuana raises growing concerns about exposure to secondhand marijuana smoke. An important location for marijuana smoking is the home, but few measurements of air pollutant concentrations in the home are available for a marijuana joint fully smoked in one of its rooms. We used research grade calibrated real-time continuous PM2.5 air monitors in controlled 5-hour experiments to measure fine particle concentrations in the 9 rooms of a detached, two-story, 4-bedroom home with either a tobacco cigarette or a marijuana joint fully smoked in the home's living room. The master bedroom's door was closed, and the other bedroom doors were open, as was the custom of occupants of this residence. In two experiments with a Marlboro tobacco cigarette smoked by a machine in the living room, the 5-hour mean PM2.5 concentrations in 9 rooms of the home were 15.2 μg/m3 (SD 5.6 μg/m3) and 15.0 μg/m3 (SD 3.7 μg/m3). In contrast, three experiments with pre-rolled marijuana joints smoked in the same manner in the living room produced 5-hour mean PM2.5 concentrations of 38.9 μg/m3 (SD 10.6 μg/m3), 79.8 μg/m3 (SD 25.7 μg/m3) and 80.7 μg/m3 (SD 28.8 μg/m3). In summary, the average secondhand PM2.5 concentrations from smoking a marijuana joint in the home were found to be 4.4 times as great as the secondhand PM2.5 concentrations from smoking a tobacco cigarette. Opening 3 windows by 12.7 cm reduced the high PM2.5 concentrations from marijuana smoking by 67 %, but the PM2.5 levels still exceeded those produced by tobacco smoking with the windows closed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne R Ott
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University, 1008 Cardiff Lane, Redwood City, CA 94061, United States of America.
| | - Lance A Wallace
- 428 Woodley Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95409, United States of America
| | - Kai-Chung Cheng
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University, MS 4020, Stanford, CA 94305-4020, United States of America
| | - Lynn M Hildemann
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Stanford University, MS 4020, Stanford, CA 94305-4020, United States of America
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Botella-Juan L, Amezcua-Prieto C, Morales-Suarez-Varela MM, Mateos-Campos R, Ayán-Pérez C, Molina AJ, Ortiz-Moncada R, Redondo-Martín S, Alguacil J, Blázquez-Abellán G, Delgado-Rodríguez M, Alonso-Molero J, Fernández-Villa T. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Evolution of Prevalence and Patterns of Cannabis Use among First-Year University Students in Spain-UniHcos Project. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11577. [PMID: 36141846 PMCID: PMC9517240 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Among university students there has been evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic increased their psychological distress, exacerbated by social restrictions. The main objective of this study was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and patterns of cannabis use among university students, in contrast to previous trends since 2012. Data from 10,522 first-year university students (73.3% female, Mage 19 (SD = 1.6)) from eleven Spanish universities collected between 2012 and May 2022 was analysed. Prevalences of cannabis use and their differences by sex were studied, as well as changes in patterns of use and its use for coping during the pandemic. It was found that during lockdown, all prevalence rates of cannabis use decreased in both sexes, showing no statistically significant differences and increasing again in the new normal period in both. Among regular cannabis users, 79.7% reported maintaining or increasing their cannabis use during the pandemic, and of these, half reported using cannabis to cope. Moreover, cannabis use in the usual household increased during the lockdown. These results show that although the overall prevalence of cannabis use was reduced during the lockdown, regular users tended to maintain or increase cannabis use. This could imply two different patterns of use among students, one social and occasional versus the other regular, providing new lines of research for prevention and the implementation of social policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Botella-Juan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Carmen Amezcua-Prieto
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria (ibs.Granada), 18014 Granada, Spain
| | - María M. Morales-Suarez-Varela
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Legal Medicine, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Ramona Mateos-Campos
- Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Carlos Ayán-Pérez
- Well-Move Research Group, Department of Special Didactics, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Antonio José Molina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, 24071 León, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- The Research Group in Gene-Environment and Health Interactions (GIIGAS), Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Rocío Ortiz-Moncada
- Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food and Nutrition Research Group, University of Alicante, 03550 Alicante, Spain
| | - Susana Redondo-Martín
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
- Comisionado Regional para la Droga, Junta de Castilla y León, 47009 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan Alguacil
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Research on Natural Resources, Health, and Environment (RENSMA), University of Huelva, 21071 Huelva, Spain
| | - Gemma Blázquez-Abellán
- Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 02008 Albacete, Spain
| | - Miguel Delgado-Rodríguez
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
| | - Jessica Alonso-Molero
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de Cantabria-IDIVAL, 39008 Santander, Spain
| | - Tania Fernández-Villa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Area of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of León, 24071 León, Spain
- Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology & Public Health (CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- The Research Group in Gene-Environment and Health Interactions (GIIGAS), Institute of Biomedicine (IBIOMED), University of León, 24071 León, Spain
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