Abstract
The recent referendum on recreational cannabis use in New Zealand highlighted the impact of cannabis use on health. The consequences of cannabis are not yet fully understood. The association between smoking and vitamin C concentrations is well established. What has yet to be investigated is the relationship between cannabis smoking and vitamin C concentrations. The current study used a subgroup of participants from the Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) cohort. Information regarding the smoking status of participants, including frequency of smoking, was gathered. participants were also asked to provide non-fasted blood and urine samples to investigate whether there was a significant difference between the vitamin C status of cannabis users compared to non-cannabis users. The results showed there were significant differences between the vitamin C concentrations of the two groups. The results also reported no significant difference between cigarette smokers compared to cannabis users, indicating regular cannabis users are experiencing similar vitamin C concentrations as cigarette smokers.