Q: I’ve heard that medical marijuana can help high blood pressure. Is this true?
A: Marijuana is not legal in the United States so research has been restricted. Typically it is used medically for pain and nausea control in cancer patients. There are articles saying marijuana increases blood pressure because smoking it causes the heart to beat faster. Other articles claim a lowering in pressure. The article that I feel is worth thinking about suggested that marijuana use could “trigger” a heart attack. This was based on an increased heart rate and a lowering of blood pressure. See http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2000/03.02/marijuana.html
(17 votes, average: 3.71 out of 5)
Loading ...
Loading ...
I don’t use marijuana. I have never used marijuana.
However, this suggestion is absurd!
Whether or not you have used marijuana has no bearing on the truth. That is what I love about science. Data is data. Fact is fact. My understanding, perhaps incorrect, is that we don’t know yet if chronic marijuana use is a cause of high blood pressure.
There are studies that show smoking marijuana temporarily increases BP then lowers it. There has to be a distinction about how one ingests the substance. Eating it in the form of a simple confection changes the effect radically, eliminating any potential damage to the lungs and is generally a more “body oriented” effect. I would like to see a study that focuses on internal ingestion. My preliminary self experimentation leads me to believe that together with lifestyle changes, ingesting extremely low amounts of marijuana can have a positive effect on lowering BP. Increasing the dosage could have the opposite effect, as there is a point of diminishing returns whereupon an overdose can cause palpitations which in very rare instances have been known to cause heart attacks in some patients. Therefore a “homeopathic” dose is all that’s needed to relax and enjoy a decrease in BP. not too mention a better sleep!
medical marijuana is legal in california which, i believe, is in the united states.
and now in Colorado..
If you have been prescribed BP lowering medication and don’t like it, you are basically swapping one drug (the prescribed one)for another(pot). Adopting a healthy lifestyle and see whether this helps, may be a better idea! Blood pressure builds up over many years, so you can not expect a wonder in 3 to 6 months with life style changes. But if PB is not in the danger zone I believe you may have time to try lifestyle changes for a longer period. Talk to a dietitian and doctor. But don’t experiment with marijuana if you have never smoked it before.
Marijuana, should be legalized, I know it helps, cause I use it…
i tried it once back in 1969 never used it since.
made me lazy and to run a business for the last 50 years of success. i feel using it would have cut my income and success. BUT USING IT FOR PAIN CONTROL AND NAUSEA FOR CANCER VICTUMS i cannot agree more. INDIANS USED IT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS OR MORE. i will ask the mext one i come across at the casino JOHN KOREAN VET MPLS MINN.
Every time I smoked pot I got stoned and forgot to check my B.P. I’ve been smoking 40 years; I’m not dead yet. All you tight asses need to light’n up look at the benefits before you condem something. Think about it.
I agree! It calms me and it comtols my hypertension better than the drugs, with side affects(losing my hair) ever did! Right On Polly!
What a name you chose! LOL! I did smoke Ganga in my 20’s but stopped once I moved to (I’m an island boy) North America because they take it much too seriously here. As far as I know, the study of the benefits of pot use has been outlawed with the assistance of the Pharmaceutical Industry lobby. Americans will probably never know for sure its effects on BP if the Pharmaceutical Industry can help it but I do agree that the need to lighten up. I don’t know of anyone in the islands having a heart attack from MJ use but that could be because they lead a much less stressful lifestyle…
I cannot emphasize enough, the importance of working to eliminate bias from the “science,” such as it is, in marijuana research. It’s imperative that a wide range of responses from the scientific community, be made available to the public. The greater the number of responses from science, concerning such issues as marijuana’s effects on blood pressure, the better. The bias against marijuana should be taken for granted, especially among scientists. Depending on one, or a few, scientific statements about marijuana use, is foolhardy.
Now, it’s academic!
http://www.cmcr.ucsd.edu/CMCR_REPORT_FEB17.pdf
I smoke marijuana lightly on occasion. I have had high BP all my life and have had a heart attack. I will let you know if it kills me(And then again maybe not). In either case I am not in favor of the government telling me how to live my life, I will make my own choices.
I believe the question here is does the use of marijuana lower blood pressure not is it legal??? Will you please just answer the questions ask… if you don’t know say you don’t know. The use of medical marijuana is also legal in Washington State and several other states. But its the feds that cause the problems.
well using marijuana is a absurd method, it will only ruin your life besides in later part maarijuana has a harsh effect in your mind and body, there are lots of method in lowring blood preassure such as diet wen you say of diet. it includes lessen cholesterol such as saturated fats,salty foods,lessen also sweets to avoid overweight thats leads to b.P and diabeticc.
why is it absurd Henry? It is a plant with medicinal properties, why not. Get otu of the ideal that this plant is just a narcotic. Alcohol, caffiene, are narcotics yet they do have medicianl properties also. Anything you ingest that is toxic also has the possibilitie to be medicine. There is no medicina that exists that cannot be also toxic. If it works it works. Also you are mis-informed on the so-called diatary guidelines. As a matter of fact people in the South of France eat foods high in saturated fats and live well into their 90s! Its not so much fats, sodium, etc but the source the quality. Not too mention the standard of a stress free lifestyle which no drug in the world can give you.
Wow, most literature claims that smoking, any knid of smoking elevates your blood pressure. your comments please . . .are welcomed.
yes any kind of smoking does raise blood presure but the effect of medical marijuana after bieng “smoke”then thats when it beings to effect the the body and starts to lower blood presure as well as pain etc.