Ammonia release from heated 'street' cannabis leaf and its potential toxic effects on cannabis users.

AIMS: To use selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) to analyse the molecular species emitted by heated 'street' cannabis plant material, especially targeting ammonia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples of 'street' cannabis leaf, held under a UK Home Office licence, were prepared by finely chopping and mixing the material. The samples were then heated in commercially available devices. The air containing the released gaseous compounds was sampled into the SIFT-MS instrument for analysis. Smoke from standard 3% National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) cannabis cigarettes was also analysed. FINDINGS: For 'street' cannabis, ammonia was present in the air samples from the devices at levels approaching 200 parts per million (p.p.m.). This is compared with peak levels of 10 p.p.m. using NIDA samples of known provenance and tetrahydrocannabinol content (3%). Several other compounds were present at lower levels, including acetaldehyde, methanol, acetone, acetic acid and uncharacterized terpenes. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of the risks of inhaling the smoke directly from burning cannabis has led to the development of a number of alternative methods of delivery, which are claimed to be safer than direct smoking. Ammonia at toxic levels is produced from heating 'street' cannabis in these commercially available devices. Thus, the use of these devices to deliver 'street' cannabis is now open to question and further research is needed to investigate their safety.

Elevated urinary aluminium in current and past users of illicit heroin.

The use of illicit heroin is associated with aberrant neurology of unknown aetiology and various psychiatric illnesses. Aluminium, which is a proven neurotoxin, is present in significant amounts in illicit heroin and may also be volatilized and inhaled following the vaporization of heroin off aluminium foil ('Chasing the Dragon'). The purpose of this study was to establish if the use of illicit heroin was associated with an increase in the body burden of aluminium. We have used graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry to measure the aluminium and iron contents of the urine of current and past users of illicit heroin and used these data to estimate body burdens of aluminium. Urinary excretion of aluminium is the most effective non-invasive indicator of the body burden of aluminium and was found to be significantly (P < 0.001) higher in users of illicit heroin, range 14-3382 nmol/mmol creatinine (mean +/- SD; 222 +/- 491 nmol/mmol creatinine), than in a normal non-drug abusing control population, range 23-74 nmol/mmol creatinine (mean +/- SD; 43 +/- 19 nmol/mmol creatinine). Exposure to aluminium from the use of illicit heroin may be of particular significance because the urinary excretion of iron, another major contaminant of illicit heroin, in users (mean +/- SD; 53 +/- 63 nmol/mmol creatinine) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the control population (mean +/- SD; 38 +/- 18 nmol/mmol creatinine). We have shown for the first time that the use of illicit heroin may be a significant contributor to the body burden of aluminium. Further research will be required to determine if adventitious aluminium has a role in heroin use-related neuropathology and neurology.

Aluminum in tobacco and cannabis and smoking-related disease.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to confirm the very high content of aluminum in tobacco and cannabis and to provide for the first time evidence that such aluminum could be biologically available. METHODS: Complete digestion of tobacco and cannabis was achieved using a 50:50 mixture of 14 M HNO3 and 0.1 M NaF. Total Al in digests was measured by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. A bespoke cigarette smoking apparatus was used to determine if aluminum in active or passive tobacco/cannabis smoke would be trapped by a surrogate lung fluid. RESULTS: The aluminum content of tobacco and cannabis was confirmed to be high, as much as 0.37% and 0.4% by weight respectively. Aluminum in tobacco and cannabis smoke, whether actively (drawn) or passively inhaled, was shown to accumulate significantly in surrogate lung fluids, thus demonstrating its potential biological availability. CONCLUSIONS: Active and passive smoking of tobacco or cannabis will increase the body burden of aluminum and thereby contribute to respiratory, neurological and other smoking-related disease.