0:00
As marijuana use becomes more common in the United States, we are learning more about its
0:04
long-term impacts, with a new study now shedding light on how it compares to tobacco use
0:12
The study, out of the University of California, San Francisco, looked at the impacts of smoking
0:17
and ingesting THC, the compound in marijuana causing the high feeling, on the cardiovascular
0:23
system. It found a link between impaired blood vessel function and both smoking marijuana and
0:29
consuming THC-laced edibles. Impaired blood vessel function increases the risk of having a heart
0:35
attack. Researchers found healthy people who smoked or consumed THC regularly showed early
0:42
signs of cardiovascular disease, similar to tobacco smokers. They say vascular function
0:48
was reduced by 42 percent in marijuana smokers and 56 percent in THC edible users. In 2016
0:56
an American Heart Association study found exposure to marijuana smoke damages blood vessels supplying
1:03
oxygen to vital organs. But this new study is the first to look at its impact on the vascular system
1:09
as a whole. A different study published in March found cannabis users under the age of 50 are six
1:16
times more likely to have a heart attack and face double the chance of heart failure. The researchers
1:22
behind this new study did say, however, that correlation does not equal causation, meaning
1:27
that while their findings show a strong link between THC and cardiovascular damage, they don't
1:33
prove it's a sole cause. For all the latest health headlines, download the Straight Arrow News app
