Adverse cardiovascular effects of inhalatory marijuana use among human subjects
Adverse cardiovascular effects of inhalatory marijuana use among human subjects

Summary/Abstract: Marijuana is the most largely used drug worldwide, its users counting more than 200 million people globally. Known since antiquity, cannabis has been used for its psychoactive effects, but also for its analgesic and antiemetic properties. Currently, in the USA it is legal to use it both medically and for recreational purposes, similar tendencies being observed in the European Union as well. The current wave of decriminalisation has the potential of increasing recreational use of cannabis, at least in the short and medium term, therefore both cardiologists and psychiatrists are encouraged to carefully look for adverse cardiovascular outcomes, due to their increasing frequency in the population. This study sought to target the cardiovascular effects of inhaled marijuana among human subjects, this being the main route of administration in the EU and the US. Temporal associations between marijuana use and the onset of important adverse effects have been found, including acute myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, strokes, transient ischemic attacks, cannabinoid arteritis, changes in blood pressure and heart rate. In conclusion, it is important to note that the current legalisation policy dynamics observed globally impose the need for increasing research efforts regarding safety of marijuana administration and particular attention over its potential side effects.

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