With more states and countries around the globe legalizing cannabis for personal use, scientists have been publishing studies on the possible health benefits—and drawbacks—of sparking up. A new study should come as welcome news for those worried about marijuana's detrimental effects on our cells.
The study, published in the Toxicology Reports journal, examined whether cannabis has genotoxic effects, or the ability to change or damage DNA within a cell. It might not sound like much on a molecular level, but harm like this can lead to mutations such as cancer. Luckily, cannabis consumers should be in the clear in this realm, albeit with a major caveat: According to the findings, they found no significant genotoxic effects from using a cannabis extract oil, though smokers should still beware.
"Several studies have found damage to various chromosomal associated with cannabinoid use," the team wrote in the paper. "Considering numerous studies demonstrating the genotoxicity of cannabis, it is noteworthy that many of these investigations have focused on individuals who consume cannabis through smoking or in cigarette form, normally rich in THC." Thus, the researchers set out to examine if cannabis extract oil has genotoxic effects.
"It is essential to assess the genotoxicity of cannabis extract oil to understand the potential damage it may cause to cells or DNA," they noted. "Given the growing interest in the use of cannabinoid-containing products in humans... the aim was to conduct a genotoxicity study on a whole cannabis sativa extract rich in CBD."
Related: Cannabis Addiction Might Be in Your Genes, New Study Finds
The latest study seemingly found that "cannabis sativa extract does not exhibit mutagenic or genotoxic potential at doses compatible with those commonly required for the clinical management of conditions such as anxiety, chronic pain, and epilepsy, among others." Still, past research has suggested that marijuana smoke could be genotoxic, but the results are still largely mixed.
"Although the current literature on cannabis sativa extracts remains inconsistent, most evidence suggests that these extracts are safe for cells and DNA under both acute and chronic experimental conditions, even at high doses, in studies involving both male and female animals. However, additional studies are needed to fully understand the potential toxicity of this plant, especially for therapeutic applications," they concluded.
If you're worried about weed's potential cancer-causing effects, you might want to stick to oils high in CBD for now.
