While marijuana is claimed to have a positive effect on one’s health, there seems to be a lack of scientific research to back it up. Citing this lack of research and a need for more considering the rising popularity of the substance, a new study has found that marijuana use has no benefits for heart health. On the contrary, it seems to be causing harm to the heart and blood vessels.
Marijuana could be unsafe for the heart. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
The study, while noting that cannabis use may be effective for muscle stiffness resultant from conditions such as multiple sclerosis, notes that observational studies have found a correlation between marijuana use and heart conditions such as heart attacks, failure, and atrial fibrillation. While noting this, the study acknowledges the need for further research on the subject.
“We urgently need carefully designed, prospective short- and long-term studies regarding cannabis use and cardiovascular safety as it becomes increasingly available and more widely used,” said Robert L. Page II, chair of the writing group for the statement. “The public needs fact-based, valid scientific information about cannabis’s effect on the heart and blood vessels. Research funding at federal and state levels must be increased to match the expansion of cannabis use – to clarify the potential therapeutic properties and to help us better understand the cardiovascular and public health implications of frequent cannabis use.” [1]
While many states and regions in the USA allow for some form of cannabis use, it is also listed as a Schedule 1 controlled substance, defined by the U.S. Controlled Substances Act as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Owing to this, there is a lack of in-depth studies into the medical benefits it may have to offer.
The study, published in the Circulation journal, further notes that the way cannabis is consumed may influence how it could affect heart health and blood vessels. [2]
