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As cannabis legalization continues to increase globally, researchers are trying to catch up outdated research on cannabis. These researchers want to investigate how cannabis might impact health in significant ways. One question is whether cannabis has genotoxic effects – the ability to damage genetic information within a cell, which can lead to mutations like cancer. But a recent study has shed some light on this particular question.
The researchers on this study tested a cannabis extract and found that it showed no significant genotoxic effects in any of the tested models.
Cannabis is gaining popularity for its recreational and medical effects, but some worry that it hasn’t been evaluated thoroughly enough to be considered safe. One worry is the potential for genotoxicity. Genotoxic substances interact with DNA, and can cause changes to its structure or function, leading to mutations. While mutations are needed to maintain genetic diversity, they can also lead to harmful mutations like cancer.
Most investigation into this question has surrounded cannabis smoke. While some weak evidence suggests cannabis smoke could be genotoxic, nothing has shown strong evidence that it is. But importantly, few studies have looked at whether cannabis extract, ingested orally, could be genotoxic on its own. So, the authors of this study decided to test an MCT oil based cannabis extract.
The tested oil was rich in CBD with a small amount of THC. To test it, the researchers used a series of three standard tests of genotoxicity –the Ames test, Micronucleus test and Comet assay.
After conducting all the tests, researchers used statistical analysis to see whether any significant differences in genetic damage or mutations occurred. The results showed no statistically significant differences in any of the tests – suggesting that cannabis is not genotoxic when used as an orally ingested extract.
The authors conclude that “These results suggest that Cannabis sativa extract does not exhibit mutagenic or genotoxic potential at doses compatible with those commonly required for the clinical management of conditions such as anxiety, chronic pain, and epilepsy, among others.”
Still, this study was limited in some ways. For one thing, cannabis extract can vary in its chemical composition. While we know this extract contained CBD and THC, the THC levels were very low, and it does not represent ALL cannabis extracts. It is possible that compounds not present in this particular extract could have genotoxic effects we are not aware of, or that different combinations or levels of cannabinoids could shift the results.
The study also didn’t look at how genotoxicity might shift when cannabis is inhaled as smoke or vapor. It is still possible that cannabis smoke or vapor could have genotoxic effects, since we have not studied that extensively.
Ultimately, cannabis is still understudied and may have health risks we are unaware of. But this study suggests that cannabis extract is unlikely to cause genotoxic effects or mutations when used orally. More research is needed, but this study shows strong evidence that edible cannabis extract is safe for our cells and DNA.
“}]]The researchers on this study tested a cannabis extract and found that it showed no significant genotoxic effects in any of the tested models. Read More
