Substances like ketamine, methamphetamine and heroin were not common in the air overall, but scientists were able to detect slightly elevated amounts of ketamine and methamphetamine in places like nightclubs where consumption typically spikes. Cocaine and THC in the air also spiked on the weekend, whereas methamphetamine stayed relatively consistent seven days a week.
Scientists found correlations between the concentration of THC in the air and high relative humidity, low wind speeds and low temperatures indicating that stagnant air favored high levels of ambient THC. This means higher levels of THC found in the air during the winter could be due to physical factors, and don’t necessarily mean that people consume more cannabis in the winter.
While measuring illegal drugs in the air is certainly an interesting practice, even the authors of this paper mentioned it’s not as effective as measuring drug metabolites in wastewater and is not an accepted method. So put it in the air, nobody cares.
Photo Credit: Adam East
via hightimes