Cannabis and Heart Health: Is There A Relationship?

Is there a relationship between cannabis and heart health? To start answering your question, if cannabis is really bad for your health, we must first determine the underlying causes and effects of using weed. The legalization of the use of marijuana has been one of the major issues in some countries as medical breakthroughs start to unfold about how Cannabis brings comfort to those patients who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, cancer, eating disorders and mental conditions such as schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress to name a few. But for those who have heart conditions, it is said that smoking cannabis is prohibited as the chance for addiction and abuse might trigger difficulties in breathing and death. Are cannabis and heart health positively interacting with each other?

What Do We Know About Cannabis?

Cannabis Sativa is the scientific name for marijuana and is commonly known as Hemp plant in English terms, but it is famous with the name Mary Jane. Did you know that only female cannabis plants can produce resin glands or trichomes? The chemical is known as cannabinoids after being pollinated by a male plant, and their flowers start to bloat and soon withers. This is the sign for a perfect harvest. The cannabis flower is dioecious, which means that the male and female flower is borne on a separate plant. Top-quality cannabis plants are the result of what they call “cured-buds,” which means they are ready for consumption. The common method of using marijuana is by rolling dried leaves like a cigarette. Still, others do a mixture of tobacco and marijuana in mini bongs, as the combination of which has a different effect on them.

Since marijuana is carcinogenic, it harms the lungs, especially in people with chronic heart disease. The American Lung Association in the United States urges further studies on the effects of cannabis on the human body as it is associated with fatal lung injury and heart health problems. Learn how cannabis and heart health are related.

Cannabis and Heart Health

This content will surely deepen your knowledge with regard to cannabis and heart health topics.
The use of marijuana has dated back in the year 500 B.C. in Asia, where cannabis cultivation has been a practice because it was discovered to have cured vomiting and stomach pains in people with cholera. Today, the medical community and countries who have favorable views on the legalization of medical marijuana are still in limbo seeking attention to bring this problem to the high resort as most people nowadays are looking for alternative options to cure the illness that only cannabis can remedy. But they remain unheard because the content of the marijuana plant is potentially addictive. If abused, users might experience long and short term effects such as cardiovascular diseases like chest pain, increased heart rate, dilated blood vessels, or worse, and it can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Although there is no definite study, and some evidence is weak, the risk of frequent marijuana users is much higher than that of nonsmokers.

Heart-related risks: What are the things that should be avoided

It is known that cannabis smoke contains hazardous irritants and carcinogens that can cause airway inflammation, chest tightness, and wheezing for recreational users. Smokers with a high intake of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a primary content in cannabis that can make one person experience a different “high”, can also bring about fear, panic, and anxiety. It is highly suggested that people with heart conditions and lung injury should avoid smoking weed because aside from addiction and mood changes, people who are smoking marijuana frequently may also suffer from deformed sperm cells, disrupt of menstrual cycle, mental abnormalities, bronchitis and increased risk of leukemia (cancer of the bone marrow). It is found that smoking cannabis is five times more damaging to the lungs than cigarette smoking for long term users.

Recommended Use of Cannabis

Either for medical or recreational use, anything consumed in moderation can be simplified as balanced consumption. Too much use of cannabis can indeed affect our lungs, heart, and brain functions. Still, we must also consider that the medical intake of this plant can even cure several abnormalities in the human body. Scientific studies have proven that cannabis is highly effective for people undergoing chemotherapy. It helps control nausea and vomiting, and in people with HIV/AIDS, it stimulates their appetite and helps in weight gain. It also helps kill cancer cells, and helps slow tumor growth. Alongside the excellent use of medical marijuana, we must not forget that the number one recommended use of Cannabis is not to use it. Why? Even first-world countries are too hesitant to bring the legalization of medical marijuana to people because of its addictive properties that one can be dependent on if used gradually.

Recent Studies That Support the Safe Use of Cannabis

The medical components of cannabis have been the subject of heated arguments and debates over the years, and a recent study that supports the safe use of medical marijuana has undergone a series of clinical trials and has been legalized in some parts of the world. Still, long term impact has not been recorded up to this date. Further research is always being conducted to determine the effectiveness of medical marijuana for people regardless of age, gender, and health history.

Conclusion

It is known that marijuana has harmful effects on the body and is a “gateway drug” for people who desperately want to escape from a struggling reality. But how would you feel if you are a parent of a sickly child undergoing chemotherapy and have been in and out of the hospital for quite some time now, and the only way to aid your child’s suffering is to go with medical cannabis treatment? Will you go for it? Many studies claim that the short term effects of the cannabis plant in patients with heart problems have been slowly taking place as it offers relief and comfort to the users, but long term effects are yet to be concluded. Many tests have claimed that the use of cannabis has somehow lessened the attacks of epilepsy, convulsion, and mental disorders among children.

Still, rampant cases of drug dependence causing depression, stress, and suicidal tendencies on young adults have also manifested. We are now living in a world of social media where technology has been a part of our daily lives, and dealing with all the uncertainties that life brings makes us look for self-satisfaction. Though most of us would look into the brighter side of life, others may tend to run away and find refuge in prohibited drugs like marijuana, whose adverse effects on the body are very damaging. Indeed, abstinence from the recreational use of marijuana is the most effective method to aid in drug addiction. However, for emergency cases on the use of medical marijuana, most medical practitioners believe that the government should fund further studies, and support from the people not from critics is essential to increase recovery and survival rate.

References:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-is-marijuana-used-63522
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/marijuana-and-heart-health-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/marijuana/the-harmful-effects.html