You are having a good time with your friends. Everyone is enjoying the grass, making the room filled with smoke. And you start wondering, will I get a contact high from marijuana? Is a contact high just myth?
Also known as a secondhand high, a contact high refers to a passive exposure to cannabis smoke that is believed to make a person high or even inject THC in their system. If you are a non-smoker, it might bother you.
Can you be tested positive for a contact high? Or you can end up accidentally stoned?
Well, these are some tricky questions. I hope the following points help you understand about cannabis contact high. Let’s get started.
When THC Breaks Out in the Air…
You must be aware of the fact that smoking or vaping marijuana releases cannabinoids like THC in the lungs and bloodstream. But how THC one can really absorb varies.
Here I would like to quote a 1999 research made by The British Journal of Anesthesia in 1999. They found that nearly half of the THC and other cannabinoids found in a cannabis cigarette are inhaled from the mainstream smoke. The amount that is inhaled varies on the smoking method. Nearly all of the cannabinoids included in typical smoke enter the bloodstream in experienced smokers who inhale deeply and hold the smoke in their lungs for a few seconds before exhaling.
In other words, research suggests that not all of the THC in inhaled cannabis smoke is fully bioavailable, and that even if the length and duration of inhalation may affect absorption, THC may still be present in exhaled cannabis smoke.
We are aware that secondhand cannabis smoking can still include cannabinoids, but is this amount sufficient to cause intoxication? or perhaps influence a drug test?
THC in the Bloodstream: What to Know
Studies from the 1980s that look at secondhand highs are fairly common, but cannabis has altered since then. Since marijuana today is far more potent, the conclusions they reach are no longer as applicable. Thankfully, there is some recent research available.
You shouldn’t be concerned if you see someone smoking in a well-ventilated area or room or if you smell marijuana when you’re out and about.
Here I would like to talk about an exciting a 2015 experiment titled Non-Smoker Exposure to Secondhand Cannabis Smoke II.
The study was done on 12 participants, 6 were smokers while 6 were non smokers. The first experiment involved all of them enter a small, unventilated chamber. Each were given 10 joints containing a THC amount of 11.3%. The smokers consumed their joints while sitting with nonsmokers. Once the hour was up, all the participants left the chamber, remove protective clothing, washed their hands and faces, and advanced to a separate room for the next assessment.
The conditions were the same in the second experiment, with the caveat that the chamber was now ventilated.
Researchers discovered significant variations between the two tests. The nonsmokers in the first experiment, where patients were essentially hot boxing without ventilation, did indeed have measurable THC levels in blood and urine testing. Researchers added that exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke in a tiny, unventilated room caused only slight increases in heart rate, mild to moderate subjective drug effects, and detectable degrees of performance impairment on various behavioral/cognitive tests.
What I mean is? The nonsmokers appeared to get high and even have evidence of THC in their systems under very extreme circumstances.
It’s interesting to see that ventilation was the deciding factor in the second trial. Nonsmokers in the ventilated session did not report substantial increases in subjective drug effects, did not screen positive on urine tests, and did not have detectable quantities of THC in blood beyond the initial 30 minutes following the exposure time.
More Studies Confirming the Effect of Secondhand Marijuana Smoke
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical that causes the majority of marijuana’s euphoric effects (or the “high”), is also present in secondhand marijuana smoke.
Secondhand marijuana smoke can pass THC to newborns and young children, and those who inhale it may suffer psychoactive side effects including feeling euphoric.
3,4 Recent studies have discovered high correlations between reports of a parent, relative, or other caregiver using marijuana at home and the child having detectable THC levels.
Children who are exposed to THC may experience adverse health impacts. To fully understand the potential effects of secondhand marijuana consumption on youngsters, more research is required. According to other study, teenage brain development may be impacted by marijuana usage during adolescence, leading to issues with memory, motivation, and focus.
Be Wary of Your Smoke
So the studies have proved that contact highs are not myth. They do happen. But it all depends on the conditions such as ventilation. It is straightforward: enter an non-ventilated room filled with cannabis smoke and you can experience the THC effect.
However, you shouldn’t be concerned if you see someone smoking in a well-ventilated area or room or if you smell marijuana when you’re out and about.
Having said that, it’s important for smokers to consider the conditions and people around them while lighting up the joints. It’s never acceptable to force someone to breathe secondhand smoke. As a result, keep kids and pets away from smoke, and if you must light up, do it politely and in a well-ventilated area where non-smokers can leave if they so choose.
