Marijuana has long been considered the oppressed, unjustly maligned, and misunderstood younger brother in the Recreational Drug family. Most of us who were born in the late 20th century had those friends with perpetually bloodshot eyes and a faint skunky musk who were, quite honestly, really fun to be around. And most of them were usually available to hang out as well, given that holding down a job wasn’t generally a real high priority for them.
Snoop Dogg continues to be my favorite Olympic Commentator, and I think we all know the reason why all the NBA players wear sunglasses at their press conferences. So what more evidence do we need? Why doesn’t every state just get with the program and legalize “cannabis?”
And this isn’t meant to be a discussion about the potential therapeutic applications of medical marijuana in refractory epilepsy or chemotherapy-induced nausea. Even if you have used marijuana for non-medical reasons (or even used it illegally), I’ll still be your Bud, although I certainly don’t condone it. This discussion is meant to WEED OUT any potential risk of marijuana when it comes to CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH.
THIS STUDY looked at the association between marijuana use and heart attacks, strokes, and coronary heart disease in over 430,000 Americans aged 18 to 74. Here were the key takeaways:
- Daily cannabis use was associated with a 25% greater risk of heart attack and a 42% increased risk of stroke.
- You may be thinking, “Well, people who smoke one thing are more likely to be smoking other stuff, so maybe that risk is simply associated with tobacco products.” And indeed, those who reported daily cannabis use were more likely to smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol (although interestingly, this group had less obesity and diabetes).
- Daily cannabis use was associated with a 49% increased risk of heart attack and a 216% increased risk of stroke in people WHO HAD NEVER SMOKED TOBACCO. Overall, these folks had a 77% increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Younger daily cannabis users (defined as men <55 and women <65) had a 36% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and this rose to 82% in those who had never used cigarettes or e-cigarettes.
There were other interesting sub-analyses as well, although the researchers failed to adjust for the late-night Jack-in-the-Box runs and Dorito binges that were, almost assuredly, more prevalent among daily cannabis users. And there are always limitations to these observational studies. But this study suggests that getting on your High Horse about the safety of marijuana when it comes to cardiovascular disease might not be as Dank as it used to be.
