Secondhand cannabis smoke : what are the effects?

Everyone has heard of passive smoking but no one talks about its sidekick… secondhand cannabis smoke! 

Secondhand cannabis smoke is the involuntary inhalation of smoke or vapor given off by other smokers (or vapers) consuming nearby. Known not to be specifically dangerous, research is now slowly showing otherwise. 

A study carried out in 2016 on laboratory rats shows that signs of damage to the lungs appear after only one minute of exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke. 

What about getting high? The researchers concluded that “contact high” is possible, although with lesser effects. They show that it is indeed possible to feel high without smoking in certain conditions, especially if the environment is small and without ventilation.

Another study shows that cannabis smoke can be absorbed not only through the lungs, but also through the skin and the hair. Darker hair retains more THC than lighter hair due to its higher concentration of melanin.

Skin absorption, on the other hand, seems logical given the existence of cannabis topicals. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are lipophilic in nature. This implies that they will dissolve in fat and therefore greatly facilitate their penetration into the skin. Don’t worry though, they won’t be able to reach the bloodstream.

Can secondhand cannabis smoke show up in a drug test?

The results of scientific studies show that in the case of extreme exposure to smoke, in a small and closed space without ventilation, traces of THC may appear in a drug test. That being said, the limit of detection should be at its lowest level.

Nowadays urine tests are the norm. The thresholds are often moderate. The presence of traces of THC in the body therefore does not necessarily mean the test will turn positive. 

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