If you smoke marijuana, you are exposed to low levels of the same toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke.

Smoking marijuana exposes the body to the same toxic chemicals released from tobacco, but at lower levels, according to a new study.

Scientists from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at the levels of several dangerous chemicals in the blood and urine of 245 volunteers.

Some of the volunteers did not smoke, some smoked either weeds or tobacco, and dome smoked a combination of both.

They found that those who smoked only marijuana still had a number of smoke-related toxic chemicals in their system – but at lower levels than those who also or only smoked tobacco.

These include naphthalene, acrylonitrile and acrylamide – toxic chemicals that can cause liver damage, are linked to cancer and a range of other health issues, researchers say.

However, another chemical, acrolein, which is known to contribute to cardiovascular disease in tobacco smokers, has only increased with tobacco smoke and not marijuana.

According to the team, reducing exposure to acrolein due to tobacco smoke and other sources may be a strategy to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Marijuana use is on the rise in the US with a growing number of states legalizing it for medical and non-medical purposes – including five more states in the 2020 election.

“The increase has raised concerns about the potential health consequences of marijuana smoking, which is known to contain the same toxic combustion products found in tobacco smoke,” said senior writer Dana Gabuzda, managing director of Dana-Farber.

“This is the first study comparing exposure to acrolein and other harmful smoke-related chemicals over time in exclusive marijuana smokers and tobacco smokers, and to see if the exposure is related to cardiovascular disease.”

The study involved 245 HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants in three studies on HIV infection in the US. HIV-infected people were used due to high tobacco and marijuana smoking in this group.

The researchers collected data from participants’ medical records and results of the surveys and analyzed their blood and urine samples for substances produced by the breakdown of nicotine or the burning of tobacco or marijuana.

By combining these data sets, they were able to detect the presence of specific toxic chemicals after smoking or marijuana.

They could also see if it was associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Acrylamide, one of the chemicals found in tobacco and marijuana smoke, is used to make paper, plastic and dyes and is produced when vegetables are heated at a high temperature.

The chemical is considered by the US National Toxicology Program and the American Cancer Society to be ‘likely human carcinogens’.

Meanwhile, acrylonitrile, which is found as a by-product of smoking weeds and tobacco, is used to make plastics and fiber.

The World Health Organization said cigarette smoke could be a major source of acrylonitrile in indoor air pollution and is considered a likely carcinogen.

The investigators also suggest that high acrolein levels, which occur in tobacco smokers, may be a sign of increased risk of cardiovascular disease and that reducing exposure to the chemical may reduce the risk.

“This is important for people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, given the high levels of tobacco smoke and the increased risk of heart disease in this group.”

“Our findings suggest that high acrolein levels may be used to identify patients at increased cardiovascular risk,” Gabuzda said, “and that reducing exposure to acrolein due to tobacco smoke and other sources may be a strategy to reduce the risk.” reduce risk. ‘

The findings were published in the journal EClinicalMedicine.