Cannabis varieties such as marijuana and hemp have the capability to absorb a class of contaminants known as heavy metals out of the soil. It makes the cannabis strains not only useful for redressing contaminated places but also dangerous for consumers. You do not want to be a victim of CBD oil contamination or marijuana contamination.
The US does not regulate the presence of heavy metals in cannabis. Therefore, people could get exposed to toxins. The only way to avoid the contamination issue is to check CBD lab test results or marijuana laboratory test results for heavy metals. Consider avoiding the purchase of an industrial hemp item or a marijuana derivative with even a small portion of heavy metals.
The lack of regulation is not good for cannabis users, especially cancer patients who use medical cannabis to cope with the pain and nausea associated with chemotherapy. What compounds the issue is that a few cannabis varieties are bred to get rid of pollutants from the air, water or soil. If people use cannabis varieties bred for phytoremediation with no knowledge of the reason for their development, they may have a heavy metal exposure.
Pennsylvania State University researcher Louis Bengyella and other researchers did an analysis of studies about contamination from heavy metals in cannabis. The researchers investigated information about cannabis application in phytoremediation, agricultural methods to mitigate the plant’s heavy metal absorption as well as the fate and medical effects of these contaminants.
Some cannabis varieties are utilized for phytoremediation due to their one-of-a-kind physical characteristics, like stem length, leaf to surface space, root area, reliance on few nutrients to survive, and fast growth. The team discovered that chromium, cadmium and lead are transportable and distributable through the plant’s stalks into the flowers and leaves. The trichomes in cannabis can then act as an exit point for these heavy metals.
As per Bengyella, trichomes matter since these stores CBD and THC. Then, the researchers looked into the documented effects of cannabis heavy metals on human health. They discovered that contamination from heavy metals can contribute to many different health issues since these cannabis components are seldom metabolized. Heavy metals from cannabis can also accumulate in certain parts of our body. The creation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species act as the source for the most prevalent mechanism of the said contamination.