DAILY DOPES’ ♥ RISK

Pot & cardiac disease

Using marijuana every day increases the risk of developing heart disease, a study presented by the American College of Cardiology found.

People who used marijuana on a daily basis were found to be about one-third more likely to develop coronary artery disease versus those who had never used cannabis.

“We found that cannabis use is linked to CAD, and there seems to be a dose-response relationship in that more frequent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of CAD,” said lead author Ishan Paranjpe, a resident physician at Stanford University.

“In terms of the public health message, it shows that there are probably certain harms of cannabis use that weren’t recognized before, and people should take that into account.”

Researchers analyzed data from a cohort of 175,000 people, comparing those who use cannabis regularly against those who don’t, to determine the connection between the frequency of use and rates of CAD. Their datasets were adjusted to account for other major cardiovascular risk factors, such as tobacco and alcohol use, but did not differentiate between modes of drug use, whether smoked or consumed in edibles.

They found that daily cannabis users were 34% more likely to develop CAD than those who have never used marijuana. However, monthly marijuana use did not seem to have a link to CAD diagnoses.

Experts are now warning that marijuana use does not come without health risks and strongly recommend that those who partake inform their doctors so they may better monitor their heart health.

Researchers hypothesized that the interplay between the plant’s psychoactive ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, and receptors in the heart and blood vessels may promote inflammation and the buildup of plaque.

CAD is the most common type of heart disease in the United States, but the risk of developing the disease can be reduced with lifestyle changes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Marijuana became legalized in New York in 2021 and began being sold for recreational purposes in 2022.