Many brands of rolling papers designed for smoking weed contain elevated levels of potentially dangerous heavy metals, according to the results of a recent study. Rolling papers with dies or metallic tips pose a particular danger, the research determined, with some brands containing enough copper to be harmful to cannabis consumers who use them frequently.

The study, which was conducted by researchers affiliated with Lake Superior State University’s School of Chemistry, examined the heavy metal content of dozens of commercially available rolling papers and preassembled paper cones. The authors note that many of the samples purchased for the research had been colored to make them more appealing to consumers than standard white rolling papers.

The researchers analyzed the various samples for the presence of 26 different compounds that could cause negative health effects, most of which are heavy metals. The team of researchers used standard chemical analysis tests to measure the quantities of the compounds in the rolling papers, including tests that burned the products to determine the amount of heavy metals in the smoke that would enter the user’s lungs.

Studied Detected Copper, Chromium and Vanadium in Some Rolling Papers

The results of the analyses varied widely among the different products tested. Some samples had low levels of heavy metals, while others contained very high levels that could pose a danger to consumers who use them frequently. Elevated levels of copper were found in many colored samples, particularly blue and green cones, presumably from the pigments used to produce the bright hues. 

Other samples had elevated levels of the heavy metals chromium and vanadium. Some cones contained high amounts of antimony, which researchers said is likely because the element is used as a catalyst to produce the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in their tips.

The research highlights a potential health risk that many consumers may not be aware of. Derek Wright, an environmental scientist at Lake Superior State University and co-author of the study, said that most people who use rolling papers assume they are safe.

“Most consumers appear to think that someone in the government must regulate this,” Wright told Chemical and Engineering News.

The researchers note that it would not be difficult for rolling paper and cone manufacturers to remove heavy metals during production. Ideally, many of the compounds can be eliminated from the manufacturing process entirely. Doing so, the authors of the study note, would reduce the risks faced by consumers.

“None of these components are necessary,” Wright noted.

Wright added that reducing the risks associated with cannabis use is particularly important for medical marijuana patients.

“We have an at-risk population—so people that are already potentially sick with maybe serious diseases like cancer—using marijuana for pain management, and then potentially exposing themselves to things that could be conceivably hazardous,” said Wright.

The researchers recommended that state lawmakers and other policymakers take note of the study’s findings and implement regulations to compel the manufacturers of rolling papers and cones to reduce the levels of heavy metals in their products. 

“Additional efforts by state regulatory agencies to reach a consensus on limits to toxic elements in cannabis and smoking papers are warranted based on our findings, as is additional research to determine exposures based on realistic use patterns,” the authors of the study wrote in their conclusion.

Daniel Curtis, an analytical and atmospheric chemist at California State University, Fullerton, who was not involved in the research, said that the study is valuable because it is the first time that an examination of the heavy metals content of rolling papers specifically designed for cannabis use has been undertaken.

“This is a really important study,” Curtis said, adding that he believes that additional research should be conducted to determine how much of the heavy metals in rolling papers is being incorporated into smoke as they are used.

“We know cannabis use is increasing,” Curtis said. “If we can identify where potentially toxic chemicals are coming from, we can eventually use that information to make a safer product.”

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A new study conducted by New York’s Columbia University researchers used a massive database from the U.S. Centers of Disease Control’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in an effort to determine whether cannabis users had higher levels of any of 17 different metals in their blood or urine. 

The study ultimately revealed that cannabis-only users had higher lead levels in their blood and urine, compared to non-users of tobacco and cannabis, along with elevated levels of cadmium — ultimately affirming the need for testing of cannabis products for heavy metals in the legal market and the need for regulated cannabis as a whole.

Examining Cannabis Use and Heavy Metals in Body

Cannabis is a hyperaccumulator, a class of more than 700 plants that accumulate metals from soil, water and fertilizers at levels far greater than average, often hundreds or thousands of times more than other plants. 

To investigate the amount of metals in the blood and urine of cannabis users, researchers analyzed data from 2005 to 2018 representing 7,254 participants who reported on their diet, health, demographics and drug use, while providing single blood and urine samples. Researchers could not tell what kind of cannabis these individuals used, where it was sourced from or where participants lived, though they adjusted for other factors that can affect exposure to and excretion of metals (namely race/ethnicity, age, sex, education, and seafood consumption).

The study found that cannabis-only users had 27% high blood lead levels and 21% more lead in their urine when compared to non-users of tobacco and cannabis. They also had higher levels of cadmium — 22% more in their blood than non-users. Lead and cadmium can cause long-term health damage, like cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cognitive impairments and increase the risk of cancer. 

In regulated cannabis markets where products are tested, any cannabis that fails must be destroyed or remediated, with legal cannabis states often issuing recalls for any products that fail and mistakenly hit store shelves.

Tobacco Users Fare Much Worse

None of the other 15 elements researchers evaluated — like arsenic, cobalt, manganese and mercury — has a clear causal association with cannabis use, though tobacco users saw much higher levels. 

Urinary cadmium levels among tobacco users were three times higher than those of cannabis-only users and their blood lead levels were 26% higher. The study also found that tobacco use was associated with higher levels of antimony, barium, tungsten and uranium. 

In general, regulated cannabis undergoes more intense testing than tobacco, and previous studies have long documented the heavy metal content in cigarette smoke.

Underscoring the Importance of Legal Cannabis Regulation and Testing

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest known study on biomarkers of metal exposure in participants who exclusively use marijuana in a representative population of U.S. adults,” authors noted. The study findings reinforce that regulated, legal cannabis provides for more consumer safety, as illicit cannabis does not undergo this same testing.

Authors note that the study was limited by its small sample of exclusive cannabis users, along with its inability to hone in on the type of product used (i.e. vapes, combustibles and edibles) which kept researchers from determining the difference in metal concentrations by product.

Given that the data was taken from 2005 to 2018, it’s also uncertain how much cannabis was obtained through the legal or illicit markets — though it’s likely that most was illicit use, as the first states to legalize cannabis only began in 2014 and adult-use legalization was still limited in the years that followed.

“We found overall associations between internal metal levels and exclusive marijuana use, highlighting the relevance of marijuana for metal exposure and the importance of follow-up studies to identify the long-term implications of these exposures,” researchers stated. 

“Future investigations of cannabis contaminants must assess other contaminants of concern and potential health effects to inform regulatory, industry and other key stakeholders, to safeguard public health and address safety concerns related to the growing use of cannabis in the United States.”

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