Why You Should Never Smoke Moldy Weed: Risks and Consequences

What Makes Moldy Weed So Dangerous?

If you’ve ever lived in the tropics, or even most areas in Florida or Texas, you know how humidity destroys. It’s a terrible feeling to open your baggy and find mold spores glaring at you from the surface of your buds.

Like so many stoners before me, I have shrugged off my concerns and smoked moldy weed when there was nothing else around.

Even though you still get high, it’s certainly not a clean feeling. Each time I did it, I found myself sniffling, coughing more than usual, and just with that creeping sensation that something ain’t quite right.

Turns out, it’s more than just an unpleasant sensation that can ruin your high when you smoke moldy weed.

Real Consequences of Smoking Moldy Weed

A few years ago, I was living in the tropics and plagued with two bags of moldy weed. After smoking it a few times like I described above, I reached out to a local friend to inquire about the moldy cannabis dilemma: to smoke or not to smoke?

Her story is a hilarious one, but also a powerful cautionary tale. Like me, she once had a large stash fall prey to mold, but pushed through all the discomfort and smoked it everyday for a month or so.

The Health Risks of Moldy Cannabis

My friend consequently developed a gnarly sinus infection and a respiratory infection that wouldn’t go away with antibiotics. She ended up going to a specialist to help solve the mystery.

The doctor ran some tests and approached her, puzzled. He said that they found the presence of a fungus that is only excreted from dead bodies, like what you’d find in a morgue, not in a living, breathing person.

He looked at her so confused, saying there just wasn’t any explanation he could think of as to why this would be in her system.

My friend also racked her brain, and then the moldy weed popped into her head like a trauma. She was embarrassed, but mentioned it just because she couldn’t think of any other weird thing she hadn’t disclosed.

Lo and behold, that was it! Smoking that disgusting, moldy weed had caused this weird, corpse compound to flourish in her system.

The doctor told her to throw away her contaminated cannabis and never, ever smoke moldy weed again under any circumstances.

Upon hearing that story, I got so scared, I also threw away my moldy stash and have never smoked fungus-contaminated herb again (to my knowledge).

The danger happens when mold releases poisonous mycotoxins, which are screened for by most commercial growers. The problem usually lies in handling and storage, particularly in humid climates.

How to Identify Moldy Weed

I did some investigation, and there’s actually a study on the risks of smoking moldy cannabis , which suggests this problem affects a lot of us.

According to the findings therein, here’s why you should avoid loading bowls with moldy buds, even if you’re desperate:

Cannabis boasts an impressive microbiome, aka an extensive community of fungal species. Scientists have identified a little over 100 of these species, some of which are harmful, and others are not.

Fungal contaminants will cause infections in the lungs and skin, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Specifically, the species Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Mucor are of major health concern if inhaled from tainted weed.

As my fungus-ripping friend found out the hard way, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Mucor come out postmortem to set up shop on dead bodies .

The moral of the story: If you don’t want to feel like a corpse, toss the moldy weed in the trash and don’t look back. Also be sure to properly dry and store your cannabis to prevent contamination.

Related Content

• Missouri Bans Psychoactive Hemp Derivatives: What we know so far
• Will Florida Legalize Recreational Cannabis This November?
• Best THC Drinks: 5 THC Beverages You’ll Love To Sip On
• Do Weed Detox Drinks Work? Here's What Happened to Me