Cannabis use and the Heart....~

**Pharm Girl** · 10-23-2007, 07:08 PM

For those in the Baby Boomer generation or older, annual physicals probably include questions about alcohol intake, tobacco use, diet, and exercise. Doctors usually explain that as people get older, their risk for heart attacks increases. But while all of these topics are commonly discussed, marijuana use rarely comes up-a serious omission for those who are at increased risk for heart attacks.

Many people may have never associated marijuana with heart attacks, especially with the prevailing concept of marijuana as a "mellowing" drug. The truth is that although energy levels decrease after smoking marijuana, blood pressure and heart rate actually increase. In fact, a marijuana smoker's heart rate can increase by about 40 beats per minute, double the normal rate. Blood pressure increases if the user is sedentary or lying down, but it drops drastically if the person stands up or becomes active. This fluctuating blood pressure results in dizziness.

It's not yet clear why marijuana causes risk to the heart. It could be THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), the carbon monoxide, or any of the other components of the drug (although we know that one marijuana joint has four times as many toxins and carcinogens as a tobacco cigarette). If the marijuana is laced with cocaine, speed, LSD, or PCP, these added chemicals could have a greater impact on the heart.

Shaggy_420 · 10-23-2007, 09:27 PM

yea im thinking its the carbon monoxide

OldMan&TheWeed · 10-23-2007, 10:07 PM

I'm over 40 and I have a history of heart disease in my family.

This is something I think about.

For right now my motto is, 'Moderation in All Things.'

bored_toker · 10-25-2007, 07:00 PM

This isn't exactly related to the thread, but you said that "although we know that one marijuana joint has four times as many toxins and carcinogens as a tobacco cigarette."

I've always heard this, but never knew if it was really true. Have they actually done studies on this?

10-23-2007, 07:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
Pharm Girl ... Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sin city Posts: 2,964 Blog Entries: 13 Thanks: 581 Thanked 287 Times in 231 Posts	Cannabis use and the Heart....~ For those in the Baby Boomer generation or older, annual physicals probably include questions about alcohol intake, tobacco use, diet, and exercise. Doctors usually explain that as people get older, their risk for heart attacks increases. But while all of these topics are commonly discussed, marijuana use rarely comes up-a serious omission for those who are at increased risk for heart attacks. Many people may have never associated marijuana with heart attacks, especially with the prevailing concept of marijuana as a "mellowing" drug. The truth is that although energy levels decrease after smoking marijuana, blood pressure and heart rate actually increase. In fact, a marijuana smoker's heart rate can increase by about 40 beats per minute, double the normal rate. Blood pressure increases if the user is sedentary or lying down, but it drops drastically if the person stands up or becomes active. This fluctuating blood pressure results in dizziness. It's not yet clear why marijuana causes risk to the heart. It could be THC (the active ingredient in marijuana), the carbon monoxide, or any of the other components of the drug (although we know that one marijuana joint has four times as many toxins and carcinogens as a tobacco cigarette). If the marijuana is laced with cocaine, speed, LSD, or PCP, these added chemicals could have a greater impact on the heart.

10-23-2007, 09:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
Shaggy_420 Marijuana Consumer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NV Posts: 876 Thanks: 203 Thanked 69 Times in 37 Posts	yea im thinking its the carbon monoxide __________________ "Penalties against the possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself... Nowhere is this more clear to me than in the laws against possession of marijuana... Therefore, I support legislation amending federal law to eliminate all federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to 1 oz. of marijuana." - Jimmy Carter, Former President & Nobel Peace Prize Winner

10-23-2007, 10:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
OldMan&TheWeed The Old Man and the Weed Join Date: May 2006 Location: The West Posts: 1,488 Thanks: 21 Thanked 173 Times in 94 Posts	I'm over 40 and I have a history of heart disease in my family. This is something I think about. For right now my motto is, 'Moderation in All Things.' __________________ The above story is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

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10-25-2007, 07:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
bored_toker YaHookan Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	This isn't exactly related to the thread, but you said that "although we know that one marijuana joint has four times as many toxins and carcinogens as a tobacco cigarette." I've always heard this, but never knew if it was really true. Have they actually done studies on this?

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