Here's why moldy weed can make you sick

While it's no mystery that the cut cannabis can have harmful effects on short-term health, mold and other toxins, often more invisible, also represent a danger to consumers. Cannabis' dense buds are a perfect hiding place for mold, especially in a humid environment. Inhaling these bacteria straight into your lungs can cause health problems for everyone, and can be particularly dangerous for the sick.

Why can mold make you sick?

There are many reasons why moldy cannabis causes health problems. Mold spores can survive in surprisingly complex environments, and be burned, only to germinate and take up residence in a warm, moist place like the human body.

If your immune system is unprepared or in bad shape, they can cause lung infections.

Cannabis molds can also make you sick from mycotoxins and endotoxins. Mycotoxins are compounds found on the outside and on small fragments of mold spores. They cause irritation and infection.

Endotoxins, on the other hand, are the molecules released by bacteria when they die. Molds and endotoxins generally go hand in hand, making exposure to mold or mildew particularly unpleasant. They can aggravate asthma symptoms and contribute to lung irritation.

This cocktail of molds can also cause inflammation, and chronic exposure aggravates autoimmune diseases while increasing the chances of developing other infections. Delightful.

In worst-case scenarios, they can help trigger pneumonia, and eventually spread to other parts of the body. The few signs of pronounced exposure to moldy weed can be:

• headaches
• fatigue
• weakness
• light sensitivity
• cough
• asthma or unusual allergies
• chest pains
• mood swings

How can you tell if your weed is moldy?

If you've ever seen moldy bread, mold on weed looks the same. They can come in different colors: white, gray, green or brown.

If you have any doubts and a magnifying glass at hand, don't hesitate to take a look. Be careful, however, not to confuse mold with cannabis trichomes.

If you're growing, especially indoors, the best protection against mold is to keep your growing space clean, dry and well ventilated. The same goes for drying your weed, Check regularly for mold growth.

There are several types of mold:

• Aspergillus: a small fungus that produces mycotoxins. Two studies on patients treated with cannabis studied the mechanisms of action of pulmonary aspergillosis. The conditions of the patients improved after adequate treatment and cessation of consumption of the incriminating cannabis.
• cladosporium: a fungus most often found on wood or paper. Can cause fever and asthma, and chronic exposure increases the chances of developing pneumonia.
• Botrytis: when inhaled, this fungus can cause allergic reactions and serious respiratory problems.

All these problems can aggravate the medical situations of people with already weakened immune systems.