BY CLAUDIA BUCK
In uneasy news for medical marijuana users, UC Davis researchers have identified potentially lethal bacteria and mold on samples from 20 Northern California pot growers and dispensaries, leading the doctors to warn patients with weakened immune systems to avoid smoking, vaping or inhaling aerosolized cannabis.
"For the vast majority of cannabis users, this is not of great concern," said Dr. George Thompson, professor in the UC Davis Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. But those with weakened immune systems - such as from leukemia, lymphoma, AIDS or cancer treatments - could unwittingly be exposing themselves to serious lung infections when they smoke or vape medical marijuana.
"We strongly advise them to avoid it," Thompson said. The study's findings were published online in a research letter in the journal Clinical Microbiology and Infection