A study from UC San Francisco shared a stark warning about cannabis use, finding significant cardiovascular risks from both smoked and edible forms of marijuana. Published in JAMA Cardiology and highlighted by UCSF News, the research revealed a notable decrease in vascular function among chronic cannabis users - on par with what you'd see from tobacco smokers, this startling revelation comes as a blow to those who considered edibles a safe harbor away from the ill effects of inhalable marijuana products.
The UCSF team evaluated 55 individuals who steered clear of nicotine but regularly consumed cannabis, starting from a healthy baseline and representing a chronic user group either puffing away or munching on THC-infused snacks. According to the researchers, these participants displayed roughly a halving of vascular function compared to non-users, which paves the way for increased chances of heart attack, hypertension, and a suite of other heart-related issues. The participants, in a study uncovered by SFGate, were all regular users who used cannabis at least three times a week, and the cardiovascular harm was stronger for people who used more THC a week, which Springer said is a sign that even using less cannabis could spare users from the heaviest cardiovascular harm: "It really does seem like the more you take, the worse it is."
While smokers showed altered blood serum potentially harmful to vascular health, edible consumers dodged this particular bullet, which left researchers scratching their heads over just how THC could be muscling its way through to ruin blood vessel function without causing serum changes. As Leila Mohammadi, MD, PhD, first author of the UCSF study, and Matthew L. Springer, PhD, the study's senior author, scramble to untangle this medical mystery, it's becoming undeniably clearer that all forms of cannabis carry a heart health hazard sign.
