Britt Jones
Some people like to smoke and consume cannabis for its ‘calming’ effects, but it could be putting them at risk for more serious health conditions in the future.
Whether it's a joint, bong, dab, edible or oil you use, cannabis could be something that harms you down the line.
Of course, you might be rolling your eyes right now because how can a naturally occurring plant cause bad health? Especially with it being in a drug that is legal for medical use in 39 of 50 states, and for recreational use in 24.
A long-term cannabis use study by the researchers at UC San Francisco was published their findings in JAMA Cardiology on May 28.
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It surveyed 55 people between the ages of 18 to 50 who were ‘outwardly healthy’ and divided them into three groups.
There were those who regularly smoked cannabis, those who ate THC-containing edibles, and those who didn’t use cannabis at all.
Those who smoked typically noted that they had been indulging in the habit for a decade, while those eating edibles had been doing so for five years.
According to the press release, the participants of the study underwent testing to find out how well their blood vessels functioned and if the cells lining the blood vessels were affected by their cannabis use in September 2024.
It found that all cannabis users were at risk of heart problems later in life because of their cannabis smoking and consumption.
According to the study, using the plant in any form has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease because of the risk stemming from reduced blood vessel function.
Those included in the group were found to have ‘decreased vascular function,’ which was comparable to those who smoke tobacco products.
Shockingly, the people tested measured as having blood vessel function around half of what was compared to those who did not use cannabis at all. This put them in line for being more likely to have a heart attack, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular issues.
This isn’t the only study to find that cannabis is bad for the body, as one previous study found that it negatively affects the brain, and another explained that cannabis use is linked to dementia.
For those who took edibles, they had the exact same risk as those who smoked cannabis, said the researchers, but those who smoked it were noted to have changes in their blood serum that harmed the cells lining their blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.
"Chronic cannabis smoking and THC ingestion were associated with endothelial dysfunction [impaired functioning of the endothelial cells lining the inside of blood vessels] similar to that observed in tobacco smokers, although apparently occurring via distinct mechanisms," the researchers wrote.
They added: "This study enhances the understanding of the potential risks to vascular health linked to cannabis use and provides more evidence that cannabis use is not benign."
Dr. Bradley Serwer, a cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, said he was not surprised by the results.
"We have known that the chronic use of THC-containing compounds can have negative health consequences — this study just reaffirms those prior studies," he told Fox News Digital.
But the findings helped to understand more about what cannabis consumption can do to people.
"This study enhances the understanding of the potential risks to vascular health linked to cannabis use and provides more evidence that cannabis use is not benign," the researchers said.