Marijuana or cannabis refers to varieties of cannabis plants that contain THC or tetrahydrocannabinol as a compound, which is a highly intoxicating substance. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), cannabis or marijuana has several medicinal properties but it can be a leading cause of heart attacks. The ASA’s statement, published in the journal Circulation, reached this conclusion after studying research papers published on the topic of heart diseases and marijuana use. THC is the main compound found in marijuana that takes us to a mind-altering state. Apart from THC, cannabis comprises many cannabinoids like CBD, THC, CBC, CBN and others.
The US has placed cannabis in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, which means it can have a negative impact on our body and is likely to be misused. Several cannabis stakeholders have requested the US federal drug law enforcement agency DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) to remove cannabis from the banned drugs category. Despite criticism, marijuana also offers many health benefits. Its cannabinoids can also be extracted separately to seek distinct health benefits. In this article, we shall explain how smoking marijuana and heart attacks are interlinked.
Let’s get started!
What we know about marijuana?
Marijuana has been a human’s companion for ages. As the civilisations kept changing, so did their status. Some considered it ‘god’s herb’ while others made it illegal and liable with several punishments. Right now, marijuana has a complicated status in the world. Progressive countries have started to notice its importance in the treatment of key diseases, while other nations are still adamant about keeping a ban on its recreational use. For its proponents, it is nothing but a plant, which grows in the fields and can be extracted from its shredded and dried parts. All its body parts, including stems, seeds, leaves and flowers, have a plethora of uses for medical as well as recreational purposes.
You can also call weed or hash or pot. Those who use it have found various ways to consume it. While some may like to smoke marijuana, others may not want to put an unnecessary burden on their lungs and thus, be happy drinking hash tea or pot cake. The effects may vary — smoking can have a faster and deeper impact while it may take longer to feel the effect if you eat marijuana. Cannabis is made up of around 500 chemical compounds, also known as cannabinoids, that come into play when you have it. The effect is beautifully complex and magical.
Same coin, two sides
As a coin can have two sides, marijuana also has both positives and negatives. Marijuana that contains THC on the higher side stimulates the heart. It also boosts vascular inflammation and oxidative stress. There are many critical health complications attached to marijuana’s direct link with the heart. From blood pressure to abnormal health rhythms, and risk of cardiac arrest to stroke, marijuana is linked to all of these life-threatening diseases. If you are an old person and especially on medications, smoking marijuana can cause in higher quantities can cause adverse reactions.
In contrast, CBD which’s another cannabinoid found in marijuana reduces the risk of heart disease. Despite these negative points, marijuana as a whole is effective against seizure or reducing nausea. It can also improve appetite, especially among people affected by HIV or cancer. It can also address problems like stress, depression, insomnia, chronic pain, schizophrenia, epilepsy, to name a few. Experts also advise that there’s nothing wrong with consuming marijuana provided it’s taken in a well-regulated manner and after the advice from healthcare experts.
Marijuana and heart attacks
If you are a marijuana smoker and if you have heart complications, it’s more likely that you’ll experience chest pain at a very early stage. One reason for that is the direct link between the cardiovascular system and marijuana. Over time, marijuana smokers experience increased heart rate, dilating blood vessels and difficulty in pumping the heart harder. Those into marijuana overuse have greater chances of experiencing heart attack hours after smoking marijuana than otherwise. This may not be a threat to those in early stages or at minimal cardiovascular risk but it’s a red flag for those with a history of heart ailments.
As per smaller-level studies, marijuana overuse can also cause atrial fibrillation or ischemic stroke, which has a greater chance of happening within two hours of smoking marijuana. Thus, if you are a heart patient, it’ll be better if you stay away from marijuana. There is a need to conduct more large-scale studies to establish more links between marijuana and heart disease, but initial research points towards a big risk in those with heart diseases.
AHA’s take on marijuana
The US American Heart Association presented two studies at its Scientific Sessions In 2020, in which it was revealed that smoking marijuana can be pretty dangerous for your heart but it may save you from kidney failure. The study found that pot smokers may experience stroke or bleeding after undergoing non-surgical procedures. “Marijuana is becoming more accessible, and patients should be aware of the increased risk after [angioplasty],” said the lead author of the study, Dr Sang Gune Yoo, reported NBC News. More than 34 states, plus D.C, have legalised marijuana for medical or recreational use. In 2020 alone, four states legalised recreational marijuana. Researchers rue that the current studies are not enough to establish links between marijuana and risk of heart disease and the federal government stance (placing it under Schedule 1) has hindered scientific research on cannabis.
The bottom line
Heart disease is the no. 1 killer in the US and the issue of marijuana and heart attacks is serious in that sense. As per the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, around 8.05 lakh people die of heart attacks each year in the US. Most of them are first-time heart attackers and each year hundreds and thousands of patients across the US conduct coronary angioplasty, a procedure in which blood flow is improved by clearing blocked arteries. Researchers have found that those who use marijuana have higher chances of undergoing artery clearing procedures than those who don’t. Marijuana also posed other risk factors like hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol. In essence, one can say that marijuana and heart don’t go along. Think twice before using it if you are a heart patient.
