Marijuana contamination linked to lethal illnesses — and even legal weed can be unsafe: ‘It’s a horror story’

Does cannabis legalization mean a safer product? Not necessarily.

Anne Hassel, a 56-year-old physical therapist in Chicopee, Massachusetts, said she developed twitching muscles, numbness in her feet, nausea and cramps after using marijuana, only for doctors to find high levels of nickel, lead and cadmium.

“People consider that if it’s legal, it’s safe. It’s a complete fallacy,” the former cannabis user told the Wall Street Journal.

Gallup reports that an estimated 17% of Americans use marijuana. As of 2023, 24 states had enacted regulations for recreational use, while even more have legalized the drug for medical use, and just last month, New York revealed new rules for growing the plants at home.

But contamination is quickly becoming an issue of concern. Users have reported high levels of heavy metals in their blood and urine, while some studies, per the Journal, have linked cannabis use to a higher risk of fungal infections, numbness, bleeding in the lungs and artery disease.

Marijuana plants are more likely to be contaminated because they are bioaccumulators, meaning they absorb things like heavy metals pesticides in the soil, as well as fungi.