Cannabis and hypertension

In France, 10 to 15% of the population is believed to suffer from hypertension, a condition defined by abnormally high blood pressure, which forces the heart to pump harder to circulate blood throughout the body.

There are many risk factors, including cigarette smoking. Studies also show that cannabis use slightly raises blood pressure levels, which return to normal as the effects of cannabis wear off.

While the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that «inhaling THC leads to a greater and longer-lasting decrease in blood pressure in people with hypertension compared to those with normal blood pressure,» a study A study by Harvard Medical School concluded that cannabis use increases the risk of a cardiovascular event fivefold during the first hour.

«This causes the heart rate to increase by about 40 beats per minute,» said Murray Mittleman, the study’s lead researcher. «Blood pressure rises and then drops suddenly when a person stands up. This could trigger a heart attack.».

This risk is twice that of sexual activity or exercise for a fit person, and is estimated to be about 1 in 100,000.

Beyond this study, most research shows that, although untreated hypertension can lead to a cardiovascular event, cannabis does not appear to increase the risk.

The publication "Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology" published a report in 2006, which stated that «despite the extreme popularity of this drug, reports of heart attack »or cannabis-related heart attacks are too rare to be reported.".

In fact, it appears that modulating the endocannabinoid system through external cannabinoid administration could be a therapeutic approach for treating hypertension and ischemic heart disease, such as as reported by the NIH in 2008.

In fact, most studies focus on THC, even though CBD lowers blood pressure in healthy individuals, according to a very recent study.