The relationship between cannabis and cardiovascular disease: clearing the haze 2025 Chandy et al

Abstract


Cannabis has been consumed for centuries, but global regulatory changes over the past three decades have increased the availability and consumption of cannabis. Cannabinoids are touted to have therapeutic potential for many diseases and could be a replacement for opioids for analgesia and sedation. However, cannabinoids can cause substantial adverse cardiovascular events that would mitigate any potential benefit. The endocannabinoid system regulates mood, satiety and memory, and modulates the cardiovascular system. The link between cannabinoids and cardiovascular disease, which used to be limited to evidence from preclinical studies, case reports and case series, is now evident in epidemiological studies. Cannabinoids adversely affect the cardiovascular system, causing myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, arrhythmia and heart failure. The effects of novel cannabinoids are unknown, and synthetic cannabinoids have the potential to cause even more substantial harm than traditional cannabinoids. Therefore, with the increasing availability and use of cannabis, the acute and chronic effects of this drug are becoming apparent.

Key points

• Cannabis use has increased as a result of decriminalization and legalization, but the cardiovascular effects need research to inform public health policies.
  
  
• Cannabis, via cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)-mediated oxidative stress and inflammation, is linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including myocardial infarction, arrhythmias and cardiomyopathy.
  
  
• CB1 antagonists and CB2 agonists are promising novel treatments for cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease, but clinical translation is complicated by adverse effects and limited data.
  
  
• Synthetic cannabinoids (such as ‘K2’ and ‘Spice’) are an emerging public health concern owing to their potent toxicity and cardiovascular implications.
  
  
• The co-use of cannabis and tobacco has synergistic adverse effects on cardiovascular health and addiction potential.
  
  
• Induced pluripotent stem cell modelling and genetic tools should be used to discover novel cannabinoid signalling pathways and potential new therapeutic targets for cardiometabolic disease.
  

The relationship between cannabis and cardiovascular disease: clearing the haze | Nature Reviews Cardiology

 

Global cannabis boom brings unexpected cardiovascular risks to light
A comprehensive review challenges the perception of cannabis as harmless, linking it to severe heart health issues.

full article here
Global cannabis boom brings unexpected cardiovascular risks to light

 

Well, I've used cannabis for more than 50 years and have never had a heart problem!

It aids sleep, boosts appetite, and reduces pain.

I don't use tobacco, which causes a lot of problems, including cancer (which killed my mother).

 

I don’t have the energy to do more than skim. I wonder if it depends on how you take it, Smoke vs Edible vs Oil etc also on if this is unique to THC or it affects CDB too.

 

That's CBD - cannabidiol. Is it the same in Swiss German? (or French?)