SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Although often touted as a healthier alternative to smoking cannabis, new research suggests THC edibles could be equally harmful to cardiovascular health. Those are the findings of a new study from the University of California San Francisco that found a strong association between smoking cannabis, eating THC edibles and endothelial dysfunction — a coronary artery disease that increases the risk for cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure.
The UCSF study, which was published Wednesday in JAMA Cardiology, indicates that “chronic cannabis use — whether it’s smoked or consumed in edible form — is associated with significant cardiovascular risks.” People who regularly used marijuana — in either form — had reduced blood vessel function that was comparable to that of tobacco smokers, the study found.
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“Vascular function in those who used cannabis by either means was reduced roughly by half compared to those who did not use it,” the study said.
This decreased vascular function, the report went on to say, “is associated with a greater risk of heart attack, hypertension, and other cardiovascular conditions.”…