Increasing cannabis use and importance as an environmental contaminant mixture and associated risks to exposed biota: A review

Abstract

For years, cannabis has been largely used for its mind-altering properties. However, the discovery of its medicinal and therapeutic attributes has led to increased medicinal use. With recent legalization of cannabis in Canada, there is an evolving proliferation of the commercial availability of cannabis-containing products, and changes to patterns of use amongst adults are anticipated. Research into the potential harmful effects from increased use due to legalization have begun in humans; however, to our knowledge, investigations into the environmental occurrence and outcomes in fish and wildlife have been largely overlooked. Increasingly potent cannabis strains are also entering both commercial and medicinal sectors thus adding to the potential risk that this product poses to the environment. Indeed, emerging evidence reveals that current wastewater treatment has limited ability to remove bioactive components of cannabis thus allowing their entry into aquatic ecosystems Furthermore, there is very little known regarding the effects, mechanisms and impacts of cannabis exposure in exposed biota, and is currently limited to a few lab-based and field-based studies in a handful of fish species (e.g. zebrafish). This review will discuss the therapeutic uses of cannabis and its constituents, as well as examine its environmental fate and potential to affect aquatic ecosystems in Canada.

Graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Cannabis legalization
• cannabinoids
• terpenes

Acknowledgements

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada is thanked for the graduate scholarship to EK.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a CIHR Project Grant to ACH (PJT-155981).