The recent study published in the journal "Heart" has drawn significant attention due to its alarming findings regarding cannabis use and cardiovascular health. The research indicates that individuals who use cannabis are at a doubled risk of dying from heart-related diseases . This comprehensive analysis synthesized data from 24 studies conducted between 2016 and 2023, encompassing nearly 200 million participants. Such a large-scale investigation underscores the pressing need for further scrutiny of cannabis consumption's implications on public health.
In over half of the states in the U.S., and in some countries in Europe, like France, doctors can give cannabis to patients as medicine, but using it just for fun is still illegal.
Even though it’s not allowed for fun, many young people in France still use it a lot. Germany recently changed its laws and now lets people use cannabis recreationally, starting in April 2024.
Now more people use cannabis, and the products they’re using are stronger than before. Today’s cannabis has more THC. That means stronger effects on the brain and body – especially the heart.
Glantz and Silver said they were for a cannabis screening approachopens in a new tab or window that goes even further than what Jouanjus' group suggested.
"Cannabis use, like tobacco and alcohol useopens in a new tab or window, should be assessed in all patients. At least in the USA, health professionals are the most influential source of cannabis information regardless of patient age, cannabis use, or state legal status, making it important for clinicians to ask about use, educate all patients about cannabis risks and take cannabis use into account in clinical decision making," they wrote.
"Cardiovascular and other health risks must be considered in the regulation of allowable product and marketing design as the evidence base grows," the duo stressed. "Specifically, cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalized but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure."
More research is needed to clarify whether cardiovascular risks are limited to inhaled products or extend to other forms of cannabis exposure, they said. Cannabis is now generally more potent and has diversified into a wide array of inhaled high potency cannabis concentrates, synthetic psychoactive cannabinoids, and edibles, they added.
They wrote: “How these changes affect cardiovascular risk requires clarification, as does the proportion of risk attributable to cannabinoids themselves versus particulate matter, terpenes or other components of the exposure.
Moreover, the study revealed additional concerning statistics: users exhibited a 29% higher risk of acute coronary syndrome and a 20% increased likelihood of experiencing a stroke . These findings suggest that while cannabis may be perceived as a relatively benign substance by some segments of society, its potential cardiovascular risks cannot be overlooked. Therefore, experts advocate for stricter regulation of cannabis similar to tobacco products to mitigate these health risks effectively .
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