What is the Deal With Cannabis?
Yes, cannabis (otherwise known as marijuana, CBD, THC, etc.) is slowly becoming legal in New York State. The law states that adults 21 and over can possess up to 3 ounces (about 85.05 g) of flower and 24 grams of concentrates (vapes, tinctures, dabs, etc.) Soon, medical marijuana will be available but the process is slow. The first licenses have been issued to growers so that they can plant seeds for the first harvest this fall. After that, testing standards will be in place to test the harvests and to oversee the manufacturing standards before it is presented to medical marijuana patients and retail customers.
However, no retail licenses have been given out as of July 2022. All the stores that you see in a town or city (excluding tribal reservations) are illegal. No one has been given the license or authority to sell products because no product has been harvested to be processed, packaged, and sold and no standards are in place. Reservations are allowed to sell cannabis because tribal nations are sovereign nations ruled by federal and international treaty laws. They have the inherent right to allow cannabis to be grown, harvested, and sold as they see fit. Make no mistake that EVERYTHING else is illegal and potentially unsafe.
Hear me out. In every state with medical marijuana and recreational marijuana laws, there are governing bodies that set strict standards for safe handling, testing, sale, and consumption. I know this may bring up mixed emotions but hear me out. How do you know that the store is spending money to test the flower that you buy? How do you know that the tincture you are taking is not contaminated and that the propylene glycol, vegetable oil or other additives are pure and safe? Have you asked for or been offered a lab sheet? Exactly. Testing is expensive and nobody wants to spend money if they do not have to. Why? Because just like every other industry, the goal is to turn a profit. In the case of things that we consume, we must be more careful because sometimes profits cloud people’s judgement on safety.
Recently, the Office of Cannabis Management sent out cease and desist letters to 52 illegal retail shops. I see more opening around where I live. It does not make it right and it should give you cause for concern about what exactly is being sold and where exactly it comes from. The laws are still being written and need time to make sure that legalization is safe. As someone who lived in Florida when there were arguments over agricultural hemp (where we get CBD without THC,) I have seen the types of shady behaviors that happen when people rush ahead. I have seen people get sick because they went into a smoke shop thinking the associates were somehow experts and then inadvertently consuming something unregulated, untested, and unsafe. I watched people ordering black market vapes with unknown carrier oils in them or ones with Vitamin E oil which leads to serious issues when heated. I watched as people sold “spice” and “bath salts” as “bud” and “isolate.” Smoke shops were shut down.
I am not advocating for or against cannabis consumption because this is a personal and sometimes medically related decision that should be left to you, your doctor and whoever else is involved in your medical decisions. I am asking you to value your health enough to ask questions. If there are no ingredient labels, then be aware of that.
Where To Smoke
Yes, if you are over 21 you can legally possess up to a specific amount of cannabis. However, on Friday July 15, 2022 Governor Hochul signed a bill prohibiting smoking in all state-owned parks, beaches, playgrounds, marinas, recreation centers and group camps. If you are caught smoking in any of these areas, there will be a $50 civil fine imposed. The bill exempts the Adirondacks and Catskills as well as parking lots, sidewalks, adjoining parks, and areas not used for park purposes.
“Smoking is a dangerous habit that affects not only the smoker but everyone around them, including families and children enjoying our state’s great public places.” ~Gov. Hochul
Impact of Second-Hand Marijuana Smoke, Air Quality and Proposition 65
As the child of a chain smoker, please do not think that somehow smoking, vaping or cooking with cannabis is any different than tobacco. I assure you that your child will still go to school smelling like it, they will still breathe it in if you smoke in the house, the car or anywhere else that is enclosed or has poor ventilation. They are still at risk of just as many health effects as second-hand cigarette smoke. I could not get away from that smell. My clothes smelled like it. My hair smelled like it. Her car smelled like it.
A few years ago, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer and treatment does a lot of long-lasting damage to people. Their chemoreceptors are damaged and overstimulated. Not long into treatment, my mom could not even tolerate the smell of second-hand smoke no matter how brief. By then, she had quit smoking, but the impact is still with her now, even in remission. The smell of smoke now causes her to have migraines, an upset stomach, a painful cough, and vomiting. I am more mindful about other people’s health because I have seen such a drastic change in my mom. So, when you smoke, please be mindful of how close you are to kids, the elderly, those with oxygen tanks or those who give you the polite “look.” Not everyone wants to enjoy it with you. Now let us get to the science behind what I am saying. Do not believe me? Keep reading.
Researchers at UC Berkley, studied the amount of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and found that particulate levels from smoking marijuana are higher than tobacco. In pre-rolled joints, the level was 3.5 times higher than a Marlboro cigarette. Some of the chemicals released when smoking tobacco or cannabis can include mercury, cadmium, nickel, lead, hydrogen cyanide and chromium. The amount of ammonia was 3 times higher in second-hand marijuana smoke than it was in second-hand tobacco smoke.
The use of electronic vapes, dab pens and dab rigs produce a chemical aerosol that reaches unhealthy limits of chemicals that impact air quality. The measurements were taken while none of these devices were in use meaning that the aerosol remains in the air for an extended period of time even after use. Due to these air quality hazards, California added marijuana smoke to its Proposition 65 warning that lists carcinogens and reproductive hazards. Smoking marijuana can still lead to lung cancer and second-hand smoke inhalation can cause impairment of blood vessel function. Impairment was higher with second-hand marijuana smoke than tobacco smoke.
I could go on, but I hope that it is now clear that it is not only about where you smoke, but about the impacts on you and the air you breathe and those around you. Because cannabis has been illegal for so long, scientists have not been allowed to conduct in-depth research on the true extent of potential health implications. They have studied some of it in rats and using available equipment to test air quality levels, but much more work is needed to understand the relationship between how you smoke (pipe, water pipe, vape, dab, etc.) and how these products break down. Remember that concentrates are made with things like butane, propane, ethanol, etc. Some states require those to be listed as the first ingredients on packaging because those are carcinogens and contaminants and they do not magically go away during manufacturing. We do not know what temperature is safe when burning or igniting these products.
There are no tests as to whether vaping alone is safe. The list of chemicals and the lack of regulation over the quality of chemicals is staggering. It could be vegetable oil from a dirty McDonalds fryer or organic cold pressed olive oil. You do not know. The people who buy them and sell them often do not know so you, the consumer, have no way of knowing. So please consider all of this in your quest for cannabis. If someone around you smokes and it makes you uncomfortable, bring this up to them. Do your research. Ask questions. Ask for lab sheets. Look for the date and make sure they are not just handing you something printed from the internet. This is your health at risk.
Resources
https://no-smoke.org/secondhand-marijuana-smoke-fact-sheet/
https://cannabis.ny.gov/adult-use
To Report Illegal Retail Stores email: