Smoke it or eat it, cannabis can be bad for your heart, new research shows
(KTLA) – A new study from the University of California, San Francisco has a sobering message for regular cannabis users: Whether you smoke it or prefer edibles, chronic use is bad for your heart.
The findings, published Wednesday in JAMA Cardiology, suggest that long-term marijuana use can seriously impact your blood vessels in a way that’s similar to tobacco.
Researchers found that people who regularly used cannabis, regardless of how they consumed it, had roughly half the blood vessel function compared to non-users. Reduced vascular function is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure.
The study brought together 55 seemingly healthy individuals between late 2021 and mid-2024. All participants were regular cannabis users, either smoking marijuana or consuming THC-infused edibles at least three times a week for at least a year.
None of them used nicotine.
Beyond the decreased blood vessel function, researchers found that marijuana smokers also showed changes in their blood that could damage the cells lining blood vessels. Those who primarily used edibles, however, didn't show those same changes.
Exactly how THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, harms blood vessels isn't fully known. But the UCSF team suggests that THC in edibles must be doing its damage through a different method than smoked marijuana.
“This study enhances the understanding of the potential risks to vascular health linked to cannabis use and provides more evidence that cannabis use is not benign,” the researchers concluded.
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