Study Links Smoking Marijuana And Eating Cannabis Gummies To Serious Cardiovascular Risk

A recent UC San Francisco study tracked cannabis users to uncover long-term health effects

Many people enjoy smoking or consuming cannabis for its calming or relaxing effects. But what they might not realize is that it could be putting their health at risk in ways they don’t expect, especially when it comes to the heart.Whether you’re using a joint, taking a hit from a bong, trying a dab, munching on an edible, or dropping cannabis oil under your tongue, it turns out that regular cannabis use might come with some long-term consequences for your body.And yes, it’s easy to shrug it off. After all, it’s just a plant, right? How bad could it really be, especially considering that cannabis is legal for medical use in 39 states and for recreational use in 24 across the U.S.? But it might not be as harmless as people assume.

A long-term study led by researchers from UC San Francisco was recently published in JAMA Cardiology on May 28. The research aimed to explore how cannabis use impacts the heart and blood vessels over time.The study included 55 participants, all aged between 18 and 50. They were described as ‘outwardly healthy,’ meaning they didn’t have any obvious existing health problems. These individuals were then divided into three separate groups.One group included those who regularly smoked cannabis. Another group consumed THC through edibles, while the third group did not use cannabis in any form at all. This helped researchers compare the potential effects among different usage types and against a control group.

The impact of cannabis on a certain part of your body has been discoveredSEM VAN DER WAL/ANP/AFP via Getty Images

The people who smoked cannabis often had been doing so for around 10 years, making it a long-standing habit. In comparison, those who took edibles had typically been using them for about five years.According to the press release, in September 2024, the participants went through a round of health tests. These were designed to measure how well their blood vessels were functioning and to see if the cells that line the insides of their blood vessels had been affected by their cannabis habits.The results were concerning. All of the cannabis users—regardless of how they used it showed signs of potential heart issues that could develop later in life due to their continued cannabis use.

The findings from the study suggested that consuming cannabis, in any form, could contribute to a higher chance of developing heart disease. This was because of its impact on how well the blood vessels were working.Those who used cannabis had what’s called “decreased vascular function.” Basically, their blood vessels weren’t performing as well as they should. Shockingly, this decline in function was similar to what is usually seen in people who smoke tobacco.Even more surprising was that the cannabis users had blood vessel function that measured to be about half of what was observed in people who didn’t use cannabis at all. This puts them at a much greater risk for serious health problems like high blood pressure, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular complications.

This isn’t the first time scientists have raised concerns about cannabis use. Other studies in the past have pointed out that cannabis may negatively impact the brain. There has even been research linking cannabis use to a higher risk of developing dementia.In this latest study, researchers emphasized that people who consume edibles face the same level of risk as those who smoke cannabis. However, they did find something a bit different with smokers. The study noted that smoking cannabis led to changes in blood serum that damaged the cells lining both blood vessels and lymphatic vessels.