After discussing marijuana smoke and its effects on a home, we would like ​to address concerns about residual THC in our carpets.  Carpets, as we know, are absorbent and can hold onto smells, dander, dust, chemicals, and a wide range of microscopic contaminants that we aren’t able to see.  As concerned parents of small children and owners of family pets, can your carpet contain THC from previous owners or renters of your home or apartment​?  ​​If so, can this THC cause health ​affect​s​​ for you, ​your children​, or your pets?

 

THC or tetrahydrocannibol is the primary chemical responsible for marijuana’s psychological effects.  Basically, the THC is what causes a “high.”  The THC concentration in marijuana varies from plant to plant and also is found primarily in the buds of the plant and less so in the leaves and stalk.

W​hen marijuana is​ smoked, THC ​​does leave a residue,​ and ​this ​can be discovered ​by ​testing various ​surfaces​ in your home​.  There are many surfaces tests that can be purchased to see if there is a presence of THC in a residence or in a specific location of concern.  Knowing that THC can leave residue, the question of importance is:  ​C​an this THC residue harm you,​ your children​,​ or your pets, cause what is known as a “contact high,” or affect them in any other way if present in your carpets?

 

A study performed, found in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 34, May 2010, tested the presence of THC in blood and urine​ of those participating in a second-hand marijuana smoke study.  Based on the results of this study, those who were considered “passive smokers” or those being subjected to the second-hand smoke were tested and did show evidence of THC in their drug tests, but only in small amounts and nothing that would make for a positive cannabis drug test.  Additionally, the highest concentrations of THC in the urine of those tested were only as a result of intensive and repeated exposure, but again, not enough to elicit a positive drug test.  (1)

 

Other studies have shown that very little THC is actually exhaled back into the air, and in fact, the only way one could get a contact high was, again, to be intensively and repeatedly exposed to high levels of marijuana smoke. (2)

What does this information let us know about our carpets?  If your carpets have been exposed to marijuana smoke, the chances of there being residual THC in the carpets are real​, but the chances of this affecting your children or your pets by giving them a contact high or other effects is very slim, being that even a few days to weeks to months out from the last use of marijuana, the concentration of THC is very, very low.  What you will mainly be dealing with is the residue of the actual smoking of marijuana, which will be the staining and color alteration of your carpets, smoke residue, and smell in your carpets, that, while still very unhealthy, will not cause your kids or pets to be harmed from the THC alone.

If you suspect marijuana to have been smoked in your home, again, ​you can find many surface tests online, even on Amazon, that you can order and test different surfaces of your home, including your carpets.  Again, the level of THC that may be present in your carpets will be subject to the amount and concentration of marijuana smoked in the home, the duration of time it was smoked in the home, and how much time has passed since the last time it was smoked in

​the ​home.  If you suspect there to be residual marijuana in your carpets, get your carpets professionally cleaned.   Let your carpet cleaners know what you are dealing with, and they can provide the service you need or recommend further options for you to pursue.

 

Lastly, if you suspect or know that marijuana was previously grown​ in your home, this is an entirely different can of worms, and you need to call in professionals to help you survey the damage and correct it​.  If marijuana was grown anywhere in your house, you could be dealing with a more serious set of problems, such as mold, chemicals, and other damage in and to your carpets and in the surfaces under your carpets, as well as in your walls and ceilings.  You will need new carpets at the very least, if not more extensive repair work to be done because of the damage caused by growing marijuana in homes.

 

Again, we never want our kids or pets to be exposed to THC in any way, shape, or form, but if you find yourself in a position where marijuana was smoked in your home, it is not the end of world.  Assess the damage, call in professional carpet cleaners, and your carpets can once again be a safe and healthy place for your ​children ​and family​ pets.

References:

1.  Concentrations of Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannibol and 11-Nor-9-Carboxytetrahydrocannibol in Blood and Urine After Passive Exposure to Cannabis Smoke in a Coffee Shop, Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Vol. 34, May 2010.

2.  http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/secondhand-marijuana-smoke