More frequent use of cannabis was associated with higher odds of adverse cardiovascular outcomes, finds new study in Journal of the American Heart Association

https://newsroom.heart.org/news/cannabis-use-linked-to-increase-in-heart-attack-and-stroke-risk

Clearly this needs to be studied more, but i’m not entirely surprised. Inhaling cannabis is not much different than inhaling cigarettes when you get down to it. From having lost my mom to cigarettes nearly two years ago, likely either due to heart failure or breathing failure, I can say i’ve been more thoughtful about this, even though the volume with which I smoked/vaped cannabis was significantly less than when I smoked cigarettes back in the when. Clearly your heart rate goes up too, hence the occasional anxiety. FWIW i’ve run 4 marathons and an ultra marathon on cannabis, so it isn’t automatically going to cause heart failure, just like alcohol or tobacco don’t.

I stopped smoking/vaping in November because I had a cough that wasn’t going away. From RSV, to Covid, to having a toddler in daycare I wasn’t sure why it wasn’t going quickly enough. And it’s almost March and i’ve stuck with it. If I get back on the train, i’m done smoking/vaping as my primary form factor. Edibles and beverages appeal to me more, but to be honest, i’m incredibly grateful for the sleep improvement. I’m dreaming vividly again, meaning i’m in REM. Most people use it EOD, so clearly it can have an impact there. While this study doesn’t exclude edibles or beverages from its correlation, clearly daily use is impactful to this data. Remember, correlation isn’t causation, as we all have been drilled to remembering in order to disprove things we don’t like admitting. Even daily single glasses of wine being bad for you, right? (Many silently whispering “correlation isn’t causation” as they pour a glass for the night…)

I truly believe cannabis has helped me stop using tobacco. Entirely. I haven’t had a single smoke, or dip, or any form of nicotine since I moved to CA 6+ years ago. And I hardly drink now. Maybe once a month or once every other month. And usually 1-2 drinks at most. I’m good with that. I believe this plant can be helpful that way, and in a world where alcohol and tobacco dominate and clearly have their own health detriments, I believe cannabis is a better alternative. But nothing should be daily any more. Except exercise. And expressing love. Possibly small amounts of ice cream?…