Cannabis (marijuana) abuse causes physical or mental problems. It can make you feel high, happy, or excited. The effects may start right away and last for 3 to 4 hours depending on whether you smoke or eat cannabis, according to the CDC.

Normally, people associate smoking with tobacco. For both men and women, there are many known hazards of tobacco consumption, with doctors dissuading them from continuing the habit. Tobacco smoking has detrimental effects on several organs in the body, not just the lungs. For one, it can damage the heart by damaging its blood vessels and reducing blood flow. It can lead to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and increase the likelihood of blood clots. Smoking can also raise blood pressure and heart rate. It can impact the blood vessels in the brain and increase the risk of stroke. Now, a new study has found that smoking cannabis is equally dangerous, and that it can also expose one to similar health consequences.

Higher Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke

Per the study, published February 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, smoking cannabis is associated with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke. To arrive at the conclusion, researchers looked at data from 4,30,000 adults aged 18-74 years between 2016 to 2020; it was collected by the ‘Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey’ of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It was found that of the people surveyed, three-fourth admitted to having consumed cannabis in the past — mostly through smoking — while one-fourth individuals reported other consumption methods like vaping or ingestion. In the US, cannabis has legal status for medicinal use in 38 states, and for recreational purposes in 24 states.

‘Cannabis Use…Source Of Heart Disease’

According to a People report, Abra Jeffers, who is a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston (formerly a researcher at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco, where she conducted the study) was quoted as saying: “We know that toxins are released when cannabis is burned, similar to those found in tobacco smoke. We’ve known for a long time that smoking tobacco is linked to heart disease, and this study is evidence that smoking cannabis appears to also be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States. Cannabis use could be an important, underappreciated source of heart disease.”

Study Statistics

Per the study, while ‘heavy cannabis users’ exhibit a 25 per cent higher likelihood of experiencing a heart attack and a 42 per cent higher likelihood of stroke compared to non-users, ‘weekly cannabis use’ is linked to a 3 per cent higher risk of heart attack, and a 5 per cent higher risk of stroke. Researchers, however, stated that despite these findings the ‘precise mechanism’ that underlines the increased risk of heart attack and stroke ‘remains unclear’. It requires further investigation.

Cannabis Use

Cannabis (marijuana) abuse causes physical or mental problems. Cannabis can make you feel high, happy, or excited. The effects may start right away and last for 3 to 4 hours depending on whether you smoke or eat cannabis. According to the CDC, smoked marijuana — regardless of how it is smoked — can harm lung tissues and cause scarring and damage to small blood vessels. Smoke from marijuana has many of the same toxins, irritants, and carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) as tobacco smoke.