Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome

The legalization of marijuana (MJ) for medicinal and recreational use has raised concerns about its potential impact on health, including oral health. While MJ use has been linked to poor oral health, its effects on the composition of the oral microbiome remain unclear. This cross-sectional study an...

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Main Authors: Jun Panee, Yujia Qin, Youping Deng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2244
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author Jun Panee
Yujia Qin
Youping Deng
author_facet Jun Panee
Yujia Qin
Youping Deng
author_sort Jun Panee
collection DOAJ
description The legalization of marijuana (MJ) for medicinal and recreational use has raised concerns about its potential impact on health, including oral health. While MJ use has been linked to poor oral health, its effects on the composition of the oral microbiome remain unclear. This cross-sectional study analyzed saliva samples from chronic MJ users (n = 18) and nonusers (n = 20) to investigate MJ-related changes in salivary microbiome composition. We identified significant differences in the relative abundance of 16 taxa, including seven species, such as <i>Megasphaera micronucliformis</i>, <i>Prevotella melaninogenica</i>, and <i>Streptococcus anginosus</i>. Additionally, five species showed positive correlations with cumulative lifetime MJ use, including <i>Streptococcus vestibularis</i> and <i>Streptococcus parasanguinis</i>. By grouping salivary microbial communities into clusters based on their association with periodontal health, we found that the cluster with species associated with poor periodontal health had the highest percentage of MJ users. Moreover, MJ use significantly contributed to variance in microbial communities in individuals with relatively good periodontal health. These findings suggest that chronic MJ use is associated with alterations in the salivary microbiome, highlighting its potential broader impact on oral and systemic health.
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spelling doaj-art-87c7ca509ab54f4e88ad3dc1218be5862025-08-20T01:53:57ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-11-011211224410.3390/microorganisms12112244Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary MicrobiomeJun Panee0Yujia Qin1Youping Deng2Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USADepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USADepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USAThe legalization of marijuana (MJ) for medicinal and recreational use has raised concerns about its potential impact on health, including oral health. While MJ use has been linked to poor oral health, its effects on the composition of the oral microbiome remain unclear. This cross-sectional study analyzed saliva samples from chronic MJ users (n = 18) and nonusers (n = 20) to investigate MJ-related changes in salivary microbiome composition. We identified significant differences in the relative abundance of 16 taxa, including seven species, such as <i>Megasphaera micronucliformis</i>, <i>Prevotella melaninogenica</i>, and <i>Streptococcus anginosus</i>. Additionally, five species showed positive correlations with cumulative lifetime MJ use, including <i>Streptococcus vestibularis</i> and <i>Streptococcus parasanguinis</i>. By grouping salivary microbial communities into clusters based on their association with periodontal health, we found that the cluster with species associated with poor periodontal health had the highest percentage of MJ users. Moreover, MJ use significantly contributed to variance in microbial communities in individuals with relatively good periodontal health. These findings suggest that chronic MJ use is associated with alterations in the salivary microbiome, highlighting its potential broader impact on oral and systemic health.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2244cannabissmokingmicrobiota<i>Streptococcus vestibularis</i><i>Veillonella dispar</i><i>Prevotella melaninogenica</i>
spellingShingle Jun Panee
Yujia Qin
Youping Deng
Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome
Microorganisms
cannabis
smoking
microbiota
<i>Streptococcus vestibularis</i>
<i>Veillonella dispar</i>
<i>Prevotella melaninogenica</i>
title Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome
title_full Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome
title_fullStr Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome
title_full_unstemmed Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome
title_short Associations of Chronic Marijuana Use with Changes in Salivary Microbiome
title_sort associations of chronic marijuana use with changes in salivary microbiome
topic cannabis
smoking
microbiota
<i>Streptococcus vestibularis</i>
<i>Veillonella dispar</i>
<i>Prevotella melaninogenica</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2244
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