Marijuana the Silent Killer

By Judy O’Brien

Westminster Police Department

The hemp plant, cannabis, or better known as marijuana, is a drug made from dried leaves and flowers which in turn is smoked in cigarettes to produce a narcotic-like effect.

Many of us are unaware of the possible unseen hazards associated with this narcotic that are microbiological in nature. A particular fungus has been found to inhabit and live on marijuana.

Hundreds of bacteria and fungi are associated with the cultivation of marijuana and possible microbiological hazards need to be assessed. The majority of organisms are strictly plant pathogens and cannot infect healthy humans. Subsets of opportunistic plant pathogens are associated with "post-harvest" or "storage" decay of marijuana. If these spores are inhaled during a period when one’s immune system is lowered, they will suffer increasingly serious allergies and may eventually contract the disease Aspergillosis.

The "black weblike fungus" known as Aspergillus has several isolated species from this molding marijuana state, including fumigatus, niger, and flavus.

Aspergillus is abundant in soil, air, and aquatic settings. Indoors it inhabits areas of high humidity. It thrives on improperly stored foods and can live off dust particles rich in organic matter. It can withstand conditions of low moisture and extreme temperatures.

Most of the organisms infect people through the respiratory tract, or by oral-mucosal contact with the contaminated material causing these molds to become a "pathogenic fungi".

Storage of molds associated with marijuana and opening sealed pouches re-exposes the material to contamination and they become airborne. Use of a dust mask to prevent the spores from being inhaled and washing hands frequently are recommended. Contaminated material should be properly sealed.

You can detect contaminants through several crude screening techniques, these include visual inspection, the odor and temperature changes.

Aspergillus are dark green-black in color and have a "fuzzy" appearance. Infested marijuana produces a "musty" or "stale" odor similar to the smell of a locker room. Contaminated marijuana that is undergoing rapid decay may feel warm to the touch. Positive identification of microbiological toxins may require gas chromatography testing.

Fungi cannot occur in plant material below 15% moisture content. Properly dried marijuana contains about 10% moisture content. Once properly dried, marijuana can be stored in vacuum-sealed plastic pouches.

Symptoms can be as mild as an allergic reaction similar to asthma. This in turn can cause granuloma and lesions on the interior of the lungs, which create fibroid tumors, which are comparable to tuberculosis.

References

BIOL/CSES 4684