Cannabis smoke more harmful to heart health than edibles, experts flag

Researchers have linked chronic consumption and smoking cannabis to significant cardiovascular risks. Regular use of the drug reduced blood vessel function by half compared to tobacco smokers, showing a difference in health harm. Another study highlights older populations in the US are increasingly using cannabis. 

The findings of the first report, published in JAMA Cardiology, suggest an increased risk of early development of vascular disease in cannabis users. This includes a greater risk of heart attack, hypertension, and other heart diseases. 

Smoking participants in the cross-sectional study were found to also have changes in blood serum that are harmful to endothelial cells, which line all blood and lymphatic vessels. However, those consuming edibles did not show these changes.

The study results suggest that smoking marijuana harms vascular function differently compared to consuming tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive constituent in marijuana.

Two groups 

Researchers recruited 55 participants aged 18 to 50 years who were deemed healthy and regularly smoked marijuana or consumed THC-containing edibles. THC is the main psychoactive.

Marijuana use among older US adults had risen by nearly 46% in two years.The participants consumed cannabis at least three times a week for at least a year. None of them used nicotine. However, on average they smoked cannabis for ten years and consumed edibles for five years. 

Researchers say THC's effect on blood vessels is unknown, but damage must be caused by something that does not change the blood serum.

“There is a popular belief that marijuana smoke is harmless. However, marijuana smoke contains many of the thousands of chemicals contained in tobacco smoke, along with fine particles that contribute to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. As cannabis legalization increases, it is crucial to understand the public health and clinical implications of marijuana use,” reads the paper. 

The study was led by first author Leila Mohammadi, M.D., Ph.D., and senior author Matthew Springer, Ph.D., at the University of California, US.

Older people using cannabis 

According to new New York University research, marijuana use among older US adults is at an all-time high, with 7% of those aged 65 and up reporting using it in the previous month. This is a nearly 46% increase in two years.

Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the study reveals that marijuana users are increasingly older, college-educated, married, female, and have higher incomes. Researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2021 through 2023.

“This is the first time we were able to examine ‘current’ use of cannabis in this age group. Before, we were only able to look at past-year use because the numbers for current use were too small,” says first author Benjamin Han, MD, MPH, associate professor and associate chief of research in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care at the University of California, San Diego.

“If we look even further back to 2006 and 2007, less than 1% of older adults used cannabis in the past year. Now, we’re seeing that 7% have used it in the past month alone.”

Han sees increasing interest in using cannabis for treating chronic health symptoms in older people. “But cannabis can complicate the management of chronic diseases and be potentially harmful if patients are not educated on its use and potential risks.”