The public are becoming increasingly aware of all of the benefits of marijuana. It has been successfully linked to the treatment of multiple conditions, as well as the obvious and self-explanatory advantages – relaxation, pain management, stress relief and increased appetite. Most consider that marijuana is completely 100% safe and that with marijuana legalization all medical issues are going to vanish. However, there are reported downsides and recent studies have suggested issues with the use of medical marijuana.
Marijuana and High Blood Pressure
A new study has revealed that use of marijuana may increase the risk of dying from high blood pressure. The study took place over a 20-year period and observed that those who consumed marijuana were 3 times more likely to die from hypertension. The increase in risk was greater than that associated from simply smoking alone, according to researchers. According to the lead study author:
“Support for liberal marijuana use is partly due to claims that it is beneficial, and possibly not harmful, to health. However, there is little research on the impact of marijuana use on cardiovascular and [stroke] mortality.”
While the risks associated with smoking are well known, the risks associated with marijuana consumption are not, as it is only now seeing widespread legalization across the USA and Canada. The study was conducted on over 1,200 adults. At the end of the study period, 73% of participants were still alive and well. The study found that those who used marijuana had a 3.4-fold greater risk of death from high blood pressure during the study period. Lead study author Barbara Yankey further stated that marijuana use may:
“carry even heavier consequences on the cardiovascular system than that already established for cigarette smoking,”
Lots of Hot Air
Many long-term users of marijuana do not take such research statements too seriously. In the last year there have been a number of research statements and studies which claim that use of marijuana will have severe consequences and long-term risks. Upon closer investigation, all of these claims are completely biased. For a lead study author to suggest that marijuana is possibly worse for the cardiovascular system than tobacco is simply ludicrous. Earlier this year, the findings of another research paper indicated that there was no evidence in any existing research to suggest that marijuana was effective for PTSD or pain relief. This is despite the fact that marijuana has been used for thousands of years by millions of people across the globe to alleviate pain. There are going to be a lot of further research studies which allege that marijuana is harmful in some way or another in the next decade. The best thing to do is probably to relax with your favorite strain and enjoy the show.
Cannabis is completely benign to the human body. THC acts as an endocannabinoid called anandamide (Ananda means bliss in Sanskrit) which is naturally found in the body. This bliss molecule slots into cannabinoid receptors in the brain to produce the euphoric and or calming effects. As the endocannabinoid system is responsible for key biological processes, including sleep, appetite, mood, temperature and cognitive function, when it is lacking it results in severe disorders. Many mental illnesses such as PTSD and schizophrenia are linked to a poorly functioning endocannabinoid system. When THC is ingested it stimulates the areas in the endocannabinoid system that is needed the most. Which is why it isso effective at treating so many illnesses.
Not a Cure All
While it is more than obvious that marijuana is completely benign to the human body and can help people with disorders, it is not a cure all. People still need to exercise, to stimulate themselves, to eat healthy and to establish good social and working relationships. It is not healthy to rely on a drug to fix all problems, even one as benign as cannabis. While the studies suggesting that marijuana is actively harmful can be taken with a pinch of salt, it is better not to get overly reliant on marijuana to solve problems. Excessive cannabis consumption will still kill motivation and possibly inhibit short term memory, and addiction is never a good thing.
A Completely Invalid Study
With regard to the issue between high blood pressure and marijuana, I would not cancel my subscription as of yet. It was a single study done on a small sample set with clearly biased interests. It did not take into account numerous other confounding variables which could have upset the result. Relying on patients to give honest answers is always a shaky start to any study. Some users also reported that their marijuana use was inconsistent. And there are thousands of marijuana strains, cultivators and suppliers out there. There are also many different ways of ingesting marijuana. The study also only focused on recreational marijuana use as opposed to medical use, and medical marijuana is usually of a much higher quality. Further, as marijuana use was illegal for the last 20 years, the quality may not be as good as it is today where people can legally grow their own recreational marijuana in peace. There are thousands of such variables that render the study suspect.
In other words, the claim that marijuana may be linked to death from high blood pressure is complete and utter nonsense.