Smoking cigarettes poses several health risks, from heart disease to cancer, but the effects of marijuana are still inconclusive. The drug is believed to hold medical promise in several areas, like treating nausea in cancer patients, but researchers believe it may do
Smoking cigarettes poses several health risks, from heart disease to cancer, but the effects of marijuana are still inconclusive. The drug is believed to hold medical promise in several areas, like treating nausea in cancer patients, but researchers believe it may do more harm than good. A recent study published in European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found smoking pot can raise a smoker’s risk from dying of high blood pressure.
Those who reported marijuana use were more than three times as likely to die from high blood pressure than non-smokers. Moreover, for each year of marijuana use, smokers’ risk grew by four percent. The average duration for using marijuana, a Schedule I drug, or believed to have a high potential for abuse, was 12 years.
“This is not surprising since marijuana is known to have a number of effects on the cardiovascular system. Marijuana stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen demand,” said Barbara A. Yankey, study lead author and a PhD student in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University, in a statement.
The Brain On THC
Researchers believe tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the active ingredient in marijuana — is linked to some heart health risks. THC’s chemical structure is similar to the brain chemical anandamide, which allows the body to recognize THC, causing it to alter normal brain communication. Anandamide functions as a neurotransmitter by sending out chemical messages between neurons through the nervous system, which influence pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, and sensory and time perception.
This gives THC the ability to attach to cannabinoid receptors on neurons in these brain areas and activate them. The endocannabinoid system uses these cannabinoid neurotransmitters for nervous system functioning, including heart rate function. The presence of THC can lead to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. A rise in blood pressure means the heart has to use more force to circulate blood throughout the body; this can damage blood vessels, and potentially lead to a buildup of plaque, raising the risk of heart complications like a heart attack.
THC On Heart Health
Researchers