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Study: Smoking Too Much Weed Increases Risk of Heart Disease

Study: Smoking Too Much Weed Increases Risk of Heart Disease

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Photo by Kindel Media

Medical advice on weed keeps getting more and more confusing. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, drugs containing cannabinoids (a type of chemical in marijuana) may help treat certain rare forms of epilepsy, nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, and loss of appetite and weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS.

It has also been found that THC (the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana) decreases anxiety at lower doses yet increases anxiety at higher doses. CBD (an active ingredient in cannabis) seems to reduce anxiety at all doses that have been tested.

Then there are several unwanted side effects of marijuana, including a lack of energy, weight gain, and a lower sex drive.

Now another study says there could be harmful to the heart.

Black adults are more likely than white adults to die from a heart attack.

Using marijuana every day can raise a person’s risk of coronary artery disease, or CAD, by a third compared with people who do not use weed, one study found. The study was presented in 2022 at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The study found that daily cannabis users were 34 percent more likely to be diagnosed with coronary artery disease than those who had never used the drug.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that cannabis is not entirely without harm and may actually cause cardiovascular disease,” said lead study author Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, a resident physician at Stanford University.

“Thus, the decision to use cannabis must be carefully weighed against the potential for serious heart disease,” Paranjpe told CNN.

Marijuana increases heart rate and blood pressure immediately after use, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

“Marijuana smoke also delivers many of the same substances researchers have found in tobacco smoke — these substances are harmful to the lungs and cardiovascular system,” the CDC stated.

Not all users are at risk. People who used weed only once a month or less had no significant risk, the study found.

“In terms of the public health message, it shows that there are probably certain harms of cannabis use that weren’t recognized before, and people should take that into account,” Paranjpe told Bloomberg.


Photo by Kindel Media: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-holding-cigarette-7668036/