As marijuana use becomes more commonplace in the United States, we’re learning more about its long-term impacts. Now, a new study sheds light on how it compares to tobacco use, long proven detrimental to one’s health, especially the heart.
What did the new study reveal?
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The number of U.S. adults who smoke marijuana has more than doubled since 2013, with 15% reporting use and at least 6% consuming edibles.
The study out of the University of California, San Francisco, looked at the impacts of smoking and ingesting tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the cardiovascular system. THC is the compound in marijuana that leads to the “high” feeling.
It found a link between impaired blood vessel function, which increases the risk of having a heart attack, and both smoking marijuana and consuming THC-laced edibles.
Researchers found healthy people who smoked or consumed THC regularly showed early signs of cardiovascular disease similar to tobacco smokers. They found vascular function was reduced by 42% in marijuana smokers and 56% in THC edible users.
How does this differ from previous studies?
In 2016, an American Heart Association study found exposure to marijuana smoke damages the blood vessels that supply oxygen to vital organs, but this new study is the first to look at its impact on the vascular system as a whole.
A different study published in March found cannabis users under the age of 50 are six times more likely to have a heart attack and have double the chance of heart failure.
An important note
The researchers behind this new study did say that correlation does not equal causation — meaning that while their findings show a strong link between THC and cardiovascular damage, they don’t prove it can be the sole cause.
“We can only state that the cannabis users have poor vascular function, not that cannabis use causes poor vascular function,” senior study author Matthew Springer told CNN.
Still, the study does challenge the long-held belief that smoking marijuana is a safer alternative to smoking tobacco.
contributed to this report.
