The Impact of Marijuana on the Cardiovascular System: A Review of the Most Common Cardiovascular Events Associated with Marijuana Use

With the expanded legalization of marijuana, its medical and recreational use have sharply increased over the past decade. A wide array of new forms of cannabis is available on the market today, and the potencies are ten times those of forms previously tested, meaning that the true impact of marijua...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical medicine 2020-06, Vol.9 (6), p.1925
Main Authors: Latif, Zara, Garg, Nadish
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Apoptosis
Cannabidiol
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiovascular system
Cell cycle
Cell growth
Clinical medicine
Drug dosages
FDA approval
Heart rate
Hypotension
Kinases
Marijuana
Mortality
Nervous system
Older people
Physiology
Proteins
Review
Signal transduction
Smoking
Tetrahydrocannabinol
THC
Vaping
Young adults
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Summary:With the expanded legalization of marijuana, its medical and recreational use have sharply increased over the past decade. A wide array of new forms of cannabis is available on the market today, and the potencies are ten times those of forms previously tested, meaning that the true impact of marijuana on the cardiovascular system remains unclear. Cannabis mainly exerts its effects via the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, with different doses affecting different cannabinoids receptors. Studies have shown that marijuana plays a role in thrombosis, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Case reports have linked marijuana use to myocardial infarction, cardiac arrythmias, cardiomyopathies, stroke, and arteritis. Most patients are young, healthy men with no cardiovascular risk factors; however, the patient population is expected to change to include older individuals in the future. The widespread public perception of safety accompanying marijuana use has contributed to its increased use among the elderly, who are the most at risk population for acute cardiovascular events. In this review, we aim to provide a basic understanding of the physiological effects of marijuana on the cardiovascular system and to review the current literature regarding cardiovascular diseases linked to marijuana use in adults.
ISSN:2077-0383
2077-0383
DOI:10.3390/jcm9061925