Fusarium mycotoxins can lead to vomiting and an infection risk among immune-compromised users. Their presence in cannabis can also exacerbate conditions like cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, which is when long-term cannabis use results in cycles of nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
“Despite the legalization effort at the state level, the majority of the cannabis supply remains coming from the black and grey market. The contaminants in illicit cannabis represent a public health risk that needs to be addressed,” said lead author of the study, Maxwell Leung, Assistant Professor at the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at Arizona State University, in a press release.
For the study, researchers analyzed 118 cannabis samples collected between November 2023 and June 2024 from law enforcement seizures. The samples were analyzed for 23 of the most prevalent mycotoxins and fungal metabolites in agricultural commodities.
Ultimately, 16% of the samples contained detectable levels of mycotoxins and fungal metabolites. Two samples contained more than one mycotoxin. None of the samples, however, showed signs of mold growth. The researchers noted that fusarium mycotoxins accounted for most detections and that the detected levels exceeded typical regulatory standards.
They further noted that three samples contained diacetoxyscirpenol, a federally designated biological agent and toxin.
“Although there is currently no toxicity information for Fusarium mycotoxins in inhaled cannabis, a recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration study demonstrated that vaping devices were not powerful enough to kill microbes in the heating process, highlighting the potential exposure of fungal contaminants,” wrote the researchers in their study.
“Further studies are needed to investigate the scale of Fusarium contamination in cannabis and its potential health risk to cannabis consumers,” they concluded.
Sources: EurekAlert, Environmental Health Perspectives
