Has marijuana finally been linked to risk of death?
Marijuana is traditionally considered a “safe” illicit drug, meaning that of its potential side-effects, death isn’t on the list. In fact, one of the main…
Although marijuana may have a reputation as a relatively harmless drug, a new case report links it to the deaths of two young men. (Shutterstock)
Marijuana is traditionally considered a “safe” illicit drug, meaning that of its potential side-effects, death isn’t on the list. In fact, one of the main arguments of pro-marijuana groups is that alcohol and cigarettes–which are legal–statistically have far more proven deaths than marijuana ever has.
While it is unarguably true there are legal substances out there with higher fatality rates than marijuana, new research suggests that cannabis deaths aren’t really at the number zero as people have thought for so long. Evidence suggests the deaths of two healthy young men in Germany were the result of cardiovascular complications brought on by smoking pot.
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The first case was that of a 23-year-old man who collapsed in public ad was unable to be revived. At the time, he had a small amount of marijuana in his pocket. The second man was 28-years-old ad was found by his girlfriend in his home where rolling papers and marijuana were found next to his body. Autopsies revealed THC?the active chemical in pot?in both men’s brain and blood samples. The 28-year-old had a history of other drug use 2 years prior to his death.
Some states, such as California, have allowed marijuana to be sold only for medicinal purposes, but Washington allows its sale, even if its exclusively for recreational use. (AP Images)
“After exclusion of other causes of death, we assume that the young men died from cardiovascular complications evoked by smoking cannabis,” the researchers wrote in their report. “We assume the deaths of these two young men occurred due to arrhythmias evoked by smoking cannabis,” but this assumption does not rule out that the men were predisposed to cardiovascular risks, they added.
Marijuana use has been linked in previous studies to cardiovascular complications in young adults, and the American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement earlier this year warning the public serious cardiovascular-related complications following marijuana use are being reported in increasing number.
“The general public thinks marijuana is harmless, but information revealing the potential health dangers of marijuana use needs to be disseminated to the public, policymakers and healthcare providers, said researcher Émilie Jouanjus, Pharm.D., Ph.D, in the AHA statement.”There is now compelling evidence on the growing risk of marijuana-associated adverse cardiovascular effects, especially in young people. It is therefore important that doctors, including cardiologists, be aware of this, and consider marijuana use as one of the potential causes in patients with cardiovascular disorders.
The AHA suspects cardiovascular side-effects from marijuana are underreported, and that out of millions of users, a significant number have likely experienced a heart complication even if it didn’t result in a fatality.
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Nikolas P. Lemos, the chief forensic toxicologist for the San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office, told Live Science there have been confirmed cases in which marijuana has had harmful effects on the heart. “We simply cannot, any longer, adhere to the old mentality that ‘marijuana does not kill,” he said. “We are now seeing evidence from my office and elsewhere that it just might. I am delighted to see this additional work in hope that medical examiners, coroners and physicians will realize that they need to collect specimens, test for cannabis in post-mortem fluids and consider the contributions of cannabis in the death investigations.”
