Research: Regular use of cannabis causes serious physical changes in the heart

A new study by UK doctors suggests that people who use marijuana regularly can have serious heart problems due to physical changes in their internal parts. Writes about it "New Time".

Фото: Depositphotos

Against the backdrop of newly pressing issues of decriminalization and legalization of marijuana all over the world, dozens of new scientific studies on the dangers or benefits of this drug for the human body have appeared on the network.

Adherents of the legalization of marijuana traditionally talk about its benefits for medical use and the much greater harm of alcohol and tobacco, which are legally sold in unlimited quantities, and, yes, opponents of marijuana complain of a complete ban on the sale of any narcotic substances.

But, what are the real consequences for the human body of marijuana use? According to a recent study by scientists from the University of London, this substance can change the structure of the heart.

What did doctors from Great Britain learn?

A team of scientists from Queen Mary University of London has published a study on the effects of cannabis on the structure of the heart. The authors of the work write that marijuana is one of the most common drugs around the world, approximately 192 million people use it for recreational purposes.

At the same time, the World Health Organization is warning about the “potential dangers of the non-medical use of marijuana” and the “need for more research” to determine how cannabis affects heart health.

On the subject: Black market, toxins and cannabis: what vapers in the USA die from

In a new work, scientists analyzed data on the state of the body of 3407 people from the UK, among whom were those who often use marijuana. By “frequent use”, scientists mean smoking or any other way of using the drug daily or weekly for five years.

For the first time, doctors determined that the structure of the heart and its functions can change in regular smokers of cannabis. Researchers analyzed the state of the heart of people using magnetic resonance imaging and compared the data obtained depending on who and how often of the respondents smoked marijuana.

It turned out that regular smokers showed signs of dysfunction and structure of the heart. In particular, the left ventricles were larger in size than in people who rarely or never used marijuana. Experts write that the left ventricle is one of the most complex and thickest parts of the heart that pumps blood throughout the body, so any physical deformation can lead to serious heart disease and even death.

However, scientists report that the changes they noticed were minor, and their findings are based on data from a relatively small group of regular marijuana smokers.

The work noted that out of 3407 respondents, only 47 people constantly use cannabis, and 105 indicated that they used this substance constantly, but more than five years ago. “We urgently need systematic research to identify the long-term effects of regular cannabis use on the heart and blood vessels. This would allow health professionals and policymakers to improve advice to patients and the general public,” says study author Mohammed Kanji.

Despite this, scientists advise reducing the use of marijuana until “further systematic research appears.” Again, this is about the dangers of daily or weekly recreational marijuana use.

On the subject: Personal experience: how does medical cannabis work on your body?

“Regular cannabis use was independently associated with adverse changes in left ventricular size and subclinical dysfunction compared with infrequent or no cannabis use. "The findings should be interpreted with caution and further research is required to understand the potential pathophysiology, dose-related effects of cannabis use and the long-term cardiovascular consequences of regular use," the British study said.

How else does marijuana affect the body?

Oddly enough, various studies indicate the different effects of marijuana on physical health. Opponents of cannabis argue about the harm to the human cardiovascular system, while adherents, on the contrary, talk about the analgesic properties of marijuana and its benefits for restoring the nervous system.

The US National Institutes of Health says people have been using cannabis to treat a variety of conditions for at least 3000 years. Having the opportunity to grow this substance in a natural environment, people are experimenting with different varieties of marijuana, their effect on the body, and, most importantly, the content of active substances - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Unlike THC, CBD is not a psychoactive substance, therefore marijuana varieties with a high THC content are generally used for non-medical purposes. But CBD-based products can be absolutely legitimately sold in countries where cannabis has a semi-legal status.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CBD for the treatment of various forms of epilepsy, and a few months ago it began to be tested for its effectiveness in several other diseases, such as pain and inflammation.

Dr. Mark Blaskovich of the University of Queensland’s Center for Molecular Biological Sciences discovered that cannabidiol was very effective in killing a wide range of gram-positive bacteria, particularly bacteria that have become resistant to other antibiotics.

“Given the documented anti-inflammatory effects of cannabidiol, this is a promising new antibiotic that deserves further study,” Dr. Blaskovich said.

Various scientists from the United States believe that medical marijuana makes it possible to cope with chronic pain, helps get rid of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, reduces opioid and alcohol dependence, and is also an effective tool in the fight against nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy.

At the same time, other studies confirm that the frequent use of marijuana can lead to diseases of the human respiratory system, the development of suicidal thoughts and psychoses such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

There is a lot of inaccurate and inaccurate information about the relationship between marijuana use and the development of cancer. For example, researchers at the Northern California Institute in San Francisco recently determined that when smoking marijuana, much more carcinogens enter the human body, which increase the risk of developing various cancers.

On the subject: Study: Does Legalizing Marijuana Affect Harmonious Drug Use?

“Misinformation may pose an additional threat to public health; “Cannabis is increasingly touted as a potential cancer cure in the absence of evidence, and misinformation is receiving significant attention on social media, especially in states that have legalized recreational use of marijuana,” the study authors wrote.

On the other hand, in a report by the US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine several years ago it was written that “smoking cannabis does not increase the risk of developing cancer”, except for “some links with malignant testicular formations” in men.

Obviously, like any other substance, cannabis can have a different effect on the human body, especially in the case of uncontrolled use.

Hemp boom

An urgent problem that has obviously spoiled the image of marijuana in recent years is the use of THC-based smoking mixtures by vapers.

A study by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse shows that in the States, the number of high school students who smoked marijuana through vaporizers at least once in the last month doubled from 2018 to 2019. The report indicates that now the number of high school students who have taken cannabis via vape over the past 30 days, is 14%.

Experts focus on this, since in the summer and fall of 2019 in the United States there was an outbreak of lung diseases in people who used electronic cigarettes. After researching the causes of these diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they concluded that most people who died after smoking vape used THC-based fluids.

Many patients who went to the hospital with similar respiratory symptoms reported using THC products, and in several dozen cases it resulted in death. “The data continues to point to THC-containing products as the source of the problem. We believe that TCH is a marker for risky products,” said Anna Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On the subject: 'Flew away like a kite': McDonald's poured tea with marijuana to a visitor

Scientists predict that in the future the situation with the use of marijuana among schoolchildren can only increase, since electronic cigarettes make it possible to always keep a THC-based smoking mixture in your pocket and use it daily.

“It makes sense, especially for use in schools. The barriers that prevent some teens from using marijuana consistently in school have been overcome, and technology is making it possible for kids to smoke it more often than they otherwise would have,” said study co-author Richard Mich, a professor at the University of Michigan.

However, according to Micah, in general, marijuana use remains at the same level, but "vaping can soon change this situation."

Read also on ForumDaily:

The company offers $ 36 thousand to a person who is ready to use cannabis for a whole year

Study: Does Legalizing Marijuana Affect Harmonious Drug Use?

Scientists have found an unexpected negative effect of legalization of marijuana

Black market, toxins and cannabis: what vapers in the USA die from

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.