A Danish research team from Gentofte University, Copenhagen, found that those who regularly use the drug to manage chronic pain have a 74 percent increased risk of developing arrhythmia – an issue where a person’s heart beats irregularly. Marijuana use is skyrocketing in the US as it is legalized across the country. The drug is now legal recreationally in 19 states and the District of Columbia and can be used medically in nearly every state. It’s also starting to be offered as an alternative to opioids — the highly addictive drug is responsible for more than 70,000 annual deaths in the U.S. — because of the perceived lack of long-term side effects that come with its use. Cannabis use reached a record high among 19- to 30-year-olds in America last year, an official report said today, with four in 10 taking the drug. Experts warn it can increase the risk of heart and lung problems. Researchers found that people who used marijuana had a 74 percent increased risk of developing arrhythmia, a rare condition where a person suffers from an irregularly timed heartbeat (file photo) The graph above shows the percentage of young Americans surveyed who said they used marijuana at least once a year in 2021. It reveals that levels are now at a high The researchers, who published their findings Monday in the European Society of Cardiology, collected data from nearly 5,000 patients who were prescribed cannabis to manage pain symptoms. Each was matched with another person who had chronic pain but was not using the drug. They were followed for about six months. Participants’ risk of developing cardiovascular disease was compared after adjustment for risk factors other than drug use. About 0.86 percent of those who used marijuana for pain relief developed a case of arrhythmia—compared to 0.49 percent of those in the control group. That marks a 74 percent jump in risk based on drug use. The researchers found no increased risk associated with acute coronary syndrome or heart failure. There was also no difference depending on which chronic pain condition was being treated – leaving cannabis as the main variable. While 74 percent is staggering, the researchers reported that the raw totals in both groups were mere fractions of the percentage.
America’s $30B Legalized Cannabis Industry Sparks Teen Users ‘Explosion’
Teenagers in states that have legalized cannabis are using more of it and being lured by colorfully packaged, candy-like products that leave them vulnerable to higher rates of addiction, psychosis and dropping out of school, researchers warn. A DailyMail.com analysis of research focusing on California, Massachusetts, Nevada and other states that have legalized recreational pot shows experts warning of a “potential explosion” of underage use – and more young people using it than states where it is illegal. They worry about lax oversight of a $30 billion business and warn of a free-for-all market in which high-strength cannabis products are sold in packages covered in cartoons that appeal to young people, even as tobacco and alcohol companies are banned from targeting young people. Data from the 19 states that have allowed recreational pot in the past decade, as well as the 38 states that allow medical use, show that teens and young adults there are using more potent products. Not every teenager who eats potted gum sees it unfold. But they are more prone to addiction and dependence than adults, and greater availability and use means more cases of anxiety, depression, psychosis and even suicide. In November, voters in Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, North and South Dakota and Oklahoma will decide whether to loosen their own cannabis laws — and let the pot industry’s windfall in taxes flow to State Funds. “Cannabis use is more common among youth and adults in states where cannabis is legal for recreational use,” Renee Goodwin, who led the Columbia University study, told DailyMail.com. “Legalization has gone from being a social justice issue to the other extreme of big business commoditization without any of the same restrictions that tobacco and alcohol now have to follow.” “Our study found that users of medical cannabis had a 74 percent higher risk of heart rhythm disorders compared to non-users. However, the absolute risk difference was modest,” said Dr Nina Nouhravesh, lead author of the study, in a statement. “It should be noted that a higher proportion of those in the cannabis group were taking other pain medications, specifically non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids and antiepileptics, and we cannot rule out that this may explain the higher likelihood of arrhythmias.” While the medical and recreational cannabis markets are in their infancy in Europe, they are slowly becoming a bigger part of everyday life stateside. The drug – once taboo in America – is slowly becoming legalized. The drug is licensed for recreational use in 19 US states and the District of Columbia. Many more are also set to join this group in the near future, with the legalization of cannabis on the ballot in seven states. Using marijuana as a pain reliever has become popular in the US as well, as many patients and doctors hope to avoid the dangerously addictive nature of opioids. Data released Monday by the National Institutes of Health found that marijuana use in the U.S. reached record levels last year. A survey of 5,000 Americans aged 19 to 30 found that 43 percent of people in the population cohort had used the drug in the past year. More than one in four, 29 percent, used it every month. About 11 percent used the drug every day. These figures represent a doubling of marijuana use from five years ago – when the drug was only allowed to be used in a handful of states. A DailyMail.com analysis of research that focused on California, Massachusetts, Nevada and other states that have legalized recreational pot found that experts were warning of a “potential explosion” in underage use – and more young people are using it than in states where it’s illegal. They worried about lax oversight of a $30 billion business and warned of a free-for-all market in which high-strength cannabis products are sold in packages covered in cartoons that appeal to young people, even as tobacco and alcohol companies are banned from targeting young people. Data from the 19 states that have allowed recreational pot in the past decade, as well as the 38 states that allow medical use, show that teens and young adults there are using more potent products. Not every teenager who eats potted gum sees it unfold. But they are more prone to addiction and dependence than adults, and greater availability and use means more cases of anxiety, depression, psychosis and even suicide. Dr. Yuyan Shi, a health policy analyst at the University of California, San Diego who leads research on cannabis use, lamented earlier this year the “adverse mental health effects” it had on young people. He warned it could also damage breathing and lead to heart disease.