“Cyphing and the spread of bacteria and how to reduce it.”

Client: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Author: Darryl McNeil

I am writing a recommendation report as a university analyst specializing in cannabis health. My task is to educate universities on the possible ways that student’s health can be at risk from recreational marijuana use around campus. With the increase of popularity of cannabis and with states passing legal recreational laws college campuses have to be aware of the possible outbreaks they can create.  

Introduction

“Cyphing and the spread of bacteria and how to reduce it.”

Client: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Author: Darryl McNeil

Table of contents[JS1] 

Introduction……………………………………………………………Page 3-4

Method……………………………………………………………………Page 4

Results…………………………………………………………………….Page 4-5

Conclusion……………………………………………………………….Page 5

Recommendation…………………………………………………….Page 5-6

Appendices……………………………………………………………..Page 7

References………………………………………………………………Page 8

Darryl McNeil

11/17/2019

Dr.Sheffield 

ENGL-2225

I am writing a recommendation report as a university analyst specializing in cannabis health. My task is to educate universities on the possible ways that student’s health can be at risk from recreational marijuana use around campus. With the increase of popularity of cannabis and with states passing legal recreational laws college campuses have to be aware of the possible outbreaks they can create[JS2] .  

Introduction

With the growing nation interest in cannabis it is [JS3] time to start thinking of solutions to issues that we may not understand are[JS4] prominent. In the everyday living community there’s a risk for spreading diseases like at work, school, day care and other situations. Even with education on how to be safe there is still a health risk that is proposed. Now imagine the amount of germs that could be transmitted from one person to another by sharing a joint or spliff with a group of individuals. A joint is cannabis and tobacco mixed in a rolling paper; while a spliff is just cannabis rolled in rolling paper. [JS5] This may not seem like an issue but by not having proper knowledge, individuals could be a walking public health issue without knowing they are. In the college community across the United States of America, [JS6] there are large amounts of people who legally and illegally smoke cannabis but do not think of the increased[JS7] possibility of sharing diseases like a sore throat, the flu and more during the flu season but also all year around. This recommendation report will best fit The University of Massachusetts Amherst and minimizing any outbreaks that may be spread by the act of smoking cannabis in a group. It will help educate smokers to any myths that they might believe works. 

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Springfield, Massachusetts.  The state of Massachusetts has laws that allow its residents and visitors to have access to medicinal cannabis and recreational cannabis.  The age limit for cannabis use without a medicinal card is 21 and older. You are not allowed to use any form of edibles in public or on federal land by the state of Massachusetts; this is a law that is not enforced as heavily by cops or officials for I have from personal experience of being at festivals in the state of Massachusetts and just visiting the towns notice these rules not enforced. [JS8] You are legally allowed to have up to a 1 ounce of cannabis on your person and up to 10 ounces at your house.  These laws are not enablers but to give people the choice to use cannabis responsibly, which don’t exclude college students. In a perfect world college campuses wouldn’t have to worry about underage smoking but just how underage drinking is a thing on campuses around the country. The [JS9] University of Massachusetts Amherst doesn’t fall out of that category. The need to protect college smokers of all ages is not only vital for the University of Massachusetts Amherst but the whole state[JS10] . 

College campuses are attractions for large gatherings of many types from varsity games, events ran by the student faculty like parties as well as social gathering that clubs may run and events ran by the student faculty associated with the university like spring weekend, homecoming and others. These are the possible breeding grounds for large amounts of oral bacteria to be shared from shared cup drinking, kissing, cyphing and any other indirect and direct contact that may occur[JS11] . Through the studies collected for this project it was true that the spread of bacteria from the mouth happens while cyping a blunt or spliff with friends. With a comment from Philip Tierno stating that smoking with a friend or strangers shares bacteria that you can share from kissing a significant other is a start to make this issue a movement or focused on more 

Method 

There was a study conducted that looked into “the effects of intimate kissing on the oral microbial of 21 couples by self-administered questionnaires about their past kissing behavior and by the evaluation of tongue and salivary microbiota sample in a controlled kissing experiment”.[JS12] This study focused on the amount of bacteria that was being swapped between two people kissing[JS13] . When looking for studies I studied articles from literatures that followed or promoted a culture of cannabis smoking. This was a move I wanted to do since there isn’t a lot of government approved based information and these companies like Vice have been collecting data or writing articles for at least half the amount of time they have been operating. 

            The method I would want to use would be a survey method to get a full grasp of the possible questions and smokers etiquette that groups of people and friends might or might not do. This is to receive a more campus community based answer. I would want to interview as much of the student population as possible. This would help get a better understanding of the campus life that goes on between the students. This is data that would hopefully show how often the students are cyphing in groups and the amount of people cyphing. I understand that location and how the people smoke can play a factor, which is why there will be a portion to answer those questions on if the people smoking smoke with papers, tobacco leafs, or a type of pipe. Lastly to plan for the future as well as the present I would place an open-ended question portion to see if there are any concerns or questions that the student population may have concern for. This closes the gap of maybe individuals who aren’t smokers of cannabis but want to understand and potentially help others[JS14] . 

Results

In a 2014 study on kissing, [JS15] it was shown that the mouth can have up to 700 hundred different anaerobic species. Saliva is filled with antibodies that help kill possible pathogens that make us sick.. The study showed that “partners have a more similar oral microbiota composition then compared to unrelated individuals. An intimate kiss did not led to a significantadditionalincrease of the average similarity of the oral microbiota between partners”. Which means people who have a significant other tend to share the same mouth bacteria as each other than two strangers.  [JS16] [JS17] During the controlled experiments for “bacteria transfer it was identified the probiotic LactobacillusandBifidobacterium marker bacteria in most kiss receivers, corresponding to an average total bacterial transfer of 80 million bacteria per intimate kiss of 10 seconds”. With our bodies natural defenses 80% of infectious diseases are transmitted by direct and indirect contact. The [JS18] act of smoking cannabis falls under direct contact. When smoking in groups you are theoretically coming in contact with the rollers saliva as well as anybody else that smokes that spliff. Philip Tierno who is a clinical professor of microbiology and pathology at the NYU School of Medicine says the diseases you can receive from kissing you can receive from smoking like Herpes Simplex Virus 1, the flu, strep throat, meningitis, mononucleosis and others. Tierno has also rejected the theory that the heat from the lighter flame is hot enough to burn off bacteria. The mouthpiece side of the spliff still has saliva [JS19] on which every time someone takes a hit.  There aren’t a lot of ways to avoid the risks of transmitting diseases through smoking with groups; other than being aware of who you share that spliff with and practicing smart and safe habits. [JS20] 

Conclusions

In conclusion the data shows that it is possible to share germs and diseases through the sharing of cannabis[JS21] . While there may not be a lot of studies to show it there is a whole community of influencers, famous people and every day citizens like us who are connected by a world of their choices to smoke. It is only fair to smokers and non-smokers to conduct more studies when possible to grow the database of knowledge we have within the world of smoking cannabis. College campuses have an increased use of drinking, smoking, and partying, which makes it a possible ground zero for a [JS22] epidemic. We know the act that helps assist the potential issue but it is unknown to the severity of how often the risk is taken amongst the generations of college students. With future based questions we will hopefully be able to predict the speed growth, which diseases are more common and the differences of diseases spread from the different options of partaking in smoking cannabis[JS23] . 

Recommendations

The first recommendation I have is to educate the college community and surrounding community of the risks of sharing a spliff with a colleague can cause if not done with safety. To educate the risks of normal practices like cyphing cannabis spliff could cause not only on college campuses but anywhere. You see the attempt to educate the community of the practices of safe sex, especially on a college campus. It should be treated no differently[JS24] when it comes to the risks of smoking cannabis amongst a group of people. The promotion of safe smoking habits [JS25] should be shown on campuses in a state where cannabis is legal.  It shouldn’t be looked at as promotion but prevention and safety tips so that we can keep everybody safe and aware of risk[JS26] s. Adding cannabis based questions to surveys givien[JS27] to students yearly about campus/college life in general will keep the institution and state governments up to date about what is going developing on campuses not only with the education portion but as well as the person who may be trying to find themselves and trying to enjoy life. This can give the community officials the data for another outlet of diseases to be spread. In the hookah smoking community there is a worry of smoking hookah with a bunch of other people and not having the right mouth protection. Which is where the hookah tip comes into play; a hookah tip is a piece of plastic that goes over the hookah mouth piece to be able to pull the hookah machine without having to share your own personal and clean hookah tip. Reminding cannabis smokers of protective mouth pieces is another recommendation, which [JS28] follows the idea if you cant stop someone from doing something adapt to be able to make it safer. There are companies like “MouthPeace” that not only promote a solution to safer group smoking sessions but also try[JS29] to promote safe smoking habits with their products that not only reduce the spread of germs but filters help to remove resin and tar from smokers who use tobacco. Schools can try to partner with the company “Moose labs” or companies like it to help spread the message of reducing germs while smoking cannabis with other people.

The university officials may also want to partner with local stores around them to see if they will promote healthy smoking habits through their [JS30] store by using flyers they can hang in their place of business if it seems suitable They can also hand out reminder flyers to people who buy smoking products around times like the flu season to do their part of making sure the community is safe when it comes to the increase chance of getting sick. Below is an image of the MouthPeace, which helps reduce the spread of germs and help sanitize smoke by removing resins, toxins and tar[JS31] . 

Appendices 

Lists of general questions for the survey

  • How often do you smoke cannabis[JS32] ?
  • How often do you smoke cannabis in a group?
  • How many people on average do you smoke cannabis with in a group?
  • How willing are you to smoke with someone you have just met?
  • Do you ask about a persons health before smoking with someone you know?
  • Do you ask health questions before smoking with someone you don’t know?
  • How comfortable are you asking someone you know health questions before smoking?
  • How many times a day do you smoke cannabis. Once a day, twice a day, etc.
  • Do you openly tell others if you are sick or have a disease that is contractible? 
  • If asked do you tell others of any sickness or disease you have that can be transmitted?
  • How comfortable are you asking you don’t know health questions before smoking with them?
  • Do you smoke from a paper rollup, tobacco leaf roll up, a pipe?
  • Is their any question concerning cannabis that you may have?

Word key

  • Spliff- A cannabis rolled paper with tobacco inside.
  • Joint-A cannabis rolled paper with no tobacco inside
  • Blunts-Cannabis rolled with tobacco paper.
  • Bong- A water pipe used for smoking marijuana or other drugs.
  • Cyphing- Smoking cannabis with a group of friend’s or people. 
  • Edibles- Foods or drinks that are infused with THC.

References