We’re all familiar with the term ‘second-hand smoke’ and as it relates to cigarettes we all also know about the dangers and risks second-hand smoke is. But what about second-hand marijuana smoke or a ‘contact high’? What are the dangers and risks associated with this type of exhaled smoke? As medical and recreational marijuana become legal in more states and there are more and more new users, people might be wondering what effect MJ usage has on those around us. If a medical marijuana patient choses smoke a joint as their preferred intake method, what effect will this second hand smoke have on their non-MMJ co-habitant(s)? If a recreational user vapes around their non-partaking friend who, say … might be having a work screening drug test in the next few days, will they test positive for marijuana use and potentially not get the job?

And let’s rewind a bit: exactly what is a ‘contact high’ and is it a real thing?

Opinions and even paradigms are changing as marijuana continues to grow acceptance around the country but as its popularity and acceptance increase, so do the questions that new users and non-user allies have about more widely-spread partaking. And with only sporadic research and analysis going on over the past years/decades, the topic of ‘second-hand marijuana smoke effects’ is definitely underserved. Here we try to demystify some of what we know and some common sense thoughts for new users.

What is a ‘contact high’? Is it real?

A contact high is the notion that being around someone who smokes, vapes or dabs and passively inhaling what that person exhaled – be it smoke or vapors – can get you high. Is it true? Well, yes and no. What we do know is that a study was done in 2015 to try and find an answer or insight to this. It turns out that almost all of the THC – the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana – is absorbed by the body when the smoker/vaper/dabber inhales. There are tiny, small traces of THC in what is exhaled, but not enough to make any noticeable effect (i.e. not enough to cause a passive inhaler to fail a drug test for a job). The study concluded that it took almost a dozen smokers to smoke dozens of joints in a non-ventilated room for several hours (a recreational activity long-term smokers know as ‘hot boxing’!) for there to be any noteworthy trace of THC in the non-smoker.

So will someone get high if they are around a cannabis smoker? It’s highly unlikely and it’s also unlikely the non-smoker would fail a drug test. But let common sense rule the day here: if you’re going to be taking a drug test anytime in the near future, don’t hot box with your cannabis smoking friends!

What about vaping? Is there any difference with that method?

Vaping is like smoking in that most of the THC is absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs when the person vaping inhales. What is exhaled has very little THC – probably even less than smoking since vaping probably extracts more THC than smoking – and like smoke exhaled from a joint, will have little effect on the non-partaker. Dabbing is the same. Dabbing produces a smokier vaper than vaping, but the idea is the same: most of the THC is absorbed upon inhalation, leaving very little in the exhaled byproduct.

Again, common sense says not to be around smokers, vapers or dabbers if you’re going to be in a position where any trace of THC might jeopardize something, but smokers: be considerate of those around you who do not partake (which I’m sure almost everyone is).

But it’s legal in the state …

But I’m a medical marijuana patient and it’s legal in the state of Missouri; so in terms of drug testing for a job, does it really matter? Yes, it does – for your non-smoking ally and for you. Though currently it is legal to possess medical marijuana if you’re an Missouri MMJ user, there is nothing in the current law that speaks to marijuana not being cause for termination or refusal of a job. An employer still has the right to maintain a drug-free workplace. But do employers really test for marijuana? I mean, past airline pilots, doctors, school teachers and bus drivers. No one really knows and it’s not likely HR will answer that question is you ask. Still it’s best to be safer than sorry, at least for your non-smoking friend, roommate or partner.

And for the MMJ patient, no one can say for sure what any employer might/might not test for, but one way to look at it is: if there were slews of people failing pre-screening drug tests because of (any) MJ usage, I think we would have heard about it because there are and have always been a LOT of MJ users! Still, let common sense guide you on this and other ones.

And it goes without saying

Of course any kind of smoke can be annoying for anyone – whether second-hand marijuana smoke or cigarette smoke. So, smokers please be courteous (it seems almost silly to be writing some of this because it’s pretty sure that most MJ users and our allies coexist nicely together). And of course second-hand smoke of any kind should be kept away from children, babies, pets and pregnant women (again, seems silly to be writing this!).

We’ve come a long way with the acceptance of marijuana and it’s only going to get better. Being considerate to the non-smoking people around us will make MJ’s growing popularity even more welcomed from our allies. And of course there are always other intake methods with no byproducts (edibles, tinctures, etc.).  The incredible benefits that we experience from marijuana should be equally enjoyable to our fellow human being neighbors. Ahhh, kumbaya 🙂