American Heart Month – Medical Cannabis and Your Heart

Cannabis may possibly help heal a broken heart. Well, not actually, but it definitely can make one feel better. Cannabis may also play an important role in the overall health of our hearts. Throughout the month of February, the medical community brings attention to the heart celebrating American Heart Month.

Some little-known facts about the human heart are that it averages about the same size as an adult fist. It beats around 115,000 times and pumps an estimated 2,000 gallons of blood through the body daily. The rhythm of the heart is controlled via an electrical system, and the heart can even continue to beat after being detached from the body. Heart disease leads the cause of death for just about every demographic in the United States. The CDC estimates around 655,000 Americans die each year from heart disease. That breaks down to an estimated one person approximately every 36 seconds.

Types, Causes, and Risk of Heart Disease

Atherosclerosis is said to be one of the leading causes of coronary artery disease. Heart disease has many contributing factors but is typically caused by things like smoking, a bad diet, inadequate exercise, stress, or being overweight. Heart disease comes in many different forms besides heart attacks; that’s just what all of these conditions lead up to. Here are some of the other common issues that people experience with the heart globally.

• Arrhythmia
• Cardiac Arrest
• Congenital Heart Disease
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Coronary Artery Disease
• High Blood Pressure
• Peripheral Artery Disease
• Stroke

De-stressing is Key to Lessening the Risk of Heart Disease

Stress is a contributing factor to many different health conditions globally. It’s no secret that people of the world are stressed out everywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on society, and it is beginning to show. Rioting, protesting, and civil unrest of All sorts is happening globally. Now more than ever, everyone needs to smoke a joint.

The world has become a high-paced stressed-out place. Heart conditions are becoming more common at an early age. Cannabis is something that could greatly help reduce stress in return, helping improve your overall heart health. It’s also no secret that cannabis helps you chill out. If you are a highly stressed individual, smoking a little bud might be just the thing you need to help you do more than gain grounding over your aggression. It could help you improve your overall health.

Research is Progressing, but the U.S. is Falling Behind

As cannabis legalization progresses and draconian laws of the past are laid to rest, doors will open to further education about cannabis and heart health. In a randomized crossover study published on the NCBI, a group of healthy volunteers received a single 600 mg dose of placebo or CBD. Their hearts were monitored using a laser doppler and a finometer. End results determined that CBD helped reduce blood pressure and concluded that further research was needed to determine if CBD could have a potential role as a treatment for cardiovascular disorders.

When people think about cannabis and medicine, they instantly assume people are getting stoned or high. It’s almost as if the negative propaganda of reefer madness has brainwashed the masses to believe cannabis is made up of the only THC. THC is but only one of over a hundred different phytocannabinoids found in cannabis. The science behind endocannabinology and cannabinoid therapies will only advance when outdated cannabis policies are laid to rest permanently.

The United States of America is falling behind when it comes to medical cannabis science. Because of outdated rules and regulations set forth by a power-hungry federal government, Americans have suffered for decades. Other countries around the world, such as Israel, have been advancing their understanding of cannabinoid science now for over two decades. The research that takes place there is groundbreaking and sets the stage for much of the research conducted elsewhere globally.

The Science of Cannabis and Heart Health

In case you aren’t convinced, check out the details below of a few studies regarding cannabinoid therapies and their benefit to heart health.

• A crossover, randomized, placebo-controlled study from 2017 concluded that CBD could reduce resting blood pressure as well as blood pressure response to stress.
• In 2010, researchers investigated CBD and its reaction to cardiac-related aspects and functions. In their research, they concluded that CBD could have “great therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic complications, and perhaps other cardiovascular disorders, by attenuating oxidative/nitrative stress, inflammation, cell death, and fibrosis.”
• In 2017, a study was published in the Neuropsychopharmacology health journal that found heavy cannabis consumers to have a decreased risk of stroke due to cannabis increasing oxygen and blood flow.

Cannabis Isn’t Without Risk

Cannabis doesn’t come without risks, though, for those that have been diagnosed with heart conditions of various sorts. While cannabis can lower blood pressure, in some consumers, especially those with blood pressure and heart issues, cannabis can sometimes cause an increased heart rate or too low blood pressure. For this reason, it is advised that if you take common blood pressure or cardiac medicines such as Tenormin, Zebeta, Lopressor, Toprol-XL, Corgard, Bystolic, or Inderal that you proceed with extreme caution. But be absolutely sure by consulting with a physician beforehand in the event there might be serious interactions that you may be unaware of. 

Do you have heart disease and consume cannabis? What has been your experience? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!