Marijuana and the heart: A study challenges the idea that it's a safe alternative to tobacco.

Marijuana has been touted for several decades as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes. However, emerging evidence suggests otherwise. A new study, led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, and published in the journal JAMA Cardiology , reveals that chronic cannabis use, whether smoked or consumed in edible form, is associated with significant cardiovascular risks.

The study followed up to 55 participants who were already cannabis users or who didn't use any nicotine products for at least a year. In addition to the marijuana user group, another group included smokers with an average of 10 years of smoking, and another group that ingested edibles containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis) for about five years. Can you imagine how years of smoking or eating marijuana brownies affect the heart?

To rule out any influence from tobacco, the volunteers underwent a series of tests that confirmed they neither smoked cigarettes nor used vaporizers, nor did they regularly live with smokers who could contaminate them with secondhand smoke.

When comparing these groups with a panel of nonsmokers, the experts found that those who had never lit a cigarette exhibited much healthier cardiovascular parameters. In contrast, both smokers and edible consumers (whether in the form of cookies, biscuits, etc.) showed a notable reduction in blood vessel function, an early sign of vascular health issues.

Causes

It's unclear how THC damages blood vessels. However, the researchers stated that it must occur in a way that doesn't involve these changes in blood serum. However, these results suggest that smoking marijuana negatively affects vascular function for reasons other than THC ingestion, according to experts. Previous findings have also linked marijuana use with potential triggers for cardiovascular complications. The current study provides further data that should be considered by those who regularly rely on cannabis for relaxation or pain relief.

“Scientifically, this THC result is really interesting, but it seriously undermines the public health message,” Matthew Springer, senior author of the study and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told SFGate.

This discovery opens the door to a more detailed evaluation of how inhaled cannabis influences nitric oxide and other chemicals in the bloodstream. How does THC harm our arteries? Although specialists have explored several avenues, these results suggest that mechanisms remain to be discovered. These findings underscore the urgency of further research to unravel how each form of cannabis consumption—smoked, vaporized, or edible—differently impacts our cardiovascular health.