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| source : nbcnews.com |
I’ll be honest, I used to think cannabis edibles were the “healthier” choice. No smoke, no smell, no coughing fits, just pop a gummy, chill out, and move on with your day. But after digging into a recent study published in JAMA Cardiology, I’ve got to admit: the line between “harmless” and “high risk” is starting to blur more than I expected.
Yep, both smoking weed and eating it may be hurting your heart. And not in some vague, long-term way, we’re talking measurable impacts on your arteries, even if you’re otherwise healthy.
Wait, Weed Affects the Heart?
Apparently, yes. Researchers from UCSF (University of California, San Francisco) wanted to isolate how chronic cannabis use impacts vascular function, that is, how well your blood vessels respond to changes in blood flow.
They studied 55 healthy adults aged 18 to 50, all nonsmokers (of nicotine), with little to no exposure to secondhand smoke. These folks were sorted into three groups:
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Cannabis smokers
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Edible users
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Non-users (the control group)
Everyone in the cannabis groups used THC at least three times a week, either by puff or by pastry.
The Surprising Results (Spoiler: Edibles Didn’t Get a Free Pass)
To test vascular function, the researchers used something called flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Basically, they measured how well each person’s brachial artery (that’s the big one in your upper arm) dilated after temporarily cutting off blood flow with a cuff, kind of like a stress test for your arteries.
Here’s what they found:
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Non-users had an average artery dilation of 10.4%
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Cannabis smokers? Just 6.0%
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Edible users? Even lower at 4.6%
Now to be clear, healthy individuals usually clock in somewhere between 8% and 15%. So both cannabis groups were well below optimal. That’s a significant drop in vascular function, and it puts these users at higher risk for cardiovascular issues like heart attacks and strokes.
“But I Don’t Smoke, I Just Eat Gummies!”
Same. And I thought that meant I was dodging most of the health risks. But here’s the kicker: while smoking cannabis seems to reduce nitric oxide production in the cells that line your blood vessels (which helps trigger dilation), edibles showed the same poor outcomes via what appears to be an entirely different pathway.
Translation: you’re not safe just because you’re skipping the smoke.
The mechanism for edibles isn’t fully understood yet, and that’s part of what makes this even more concerning. If two different methods of consuming THC lead to the same outcome (narrower arteries), we need to take a closer look at what’s really going on beneath the high.
Okay, But Isn’t This Just One Study?
Good question. This latest UCSF study builds on a growing stack of evidence. For example, a separate study from the Journal of the American Heart Association earlier this year found:
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A 25% increased risk of heart attack
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A 42% increased risk of stroke
…among daily cannabis users compared to non-users. These numbers don’t exist in a vacuum. As recreational and medicinal weed become more widespread, understanding these risks matters more than ever.
Why It Matters (Even If You’re Young and “Healthy”)
Look, I’m not anti-cannabis. Far from it. But as someone who’s passionate about wellness and has seen friends and family turn to edibles and vaping as a “safe” stress reliever, I think we need to hold both truths at once:
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THC can be a therapeutic tool for pain, anxiety, and sleep.
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THC, especially in regular doses, can mess with your cardiovascular health.
The problem is that public health messaging around cannabis still feels a little… hazy. Especially with edibles, which are often marketed as gentle, safe, and side-effect-free. But the science is slowly revealing a more complicated picture.
So… What Now?
The takeaway isn’t to panic or throw out your stash, it’s to stay informed. If you’re using cannabis regularly, even in edible form, it’s worth talking to a healthcare provider about your heart health. Especially if you’ve got a family history of cardiovascular disease.
We’re still learning. This study is small, and the mechanisms behind how edibles affect your arteries are still unclear. But that doesn’t make the data any less real.
TL;DR
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Smoking and eating weed can both significantly reduce artery function
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That reduction is linked to higher risks of heart attacks and strokes
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Even healthy, young adults in the study saw their blood vessels react poorly
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More research is needed, but this isn’t a risk to ignore
Final Thought
We love to talk about cannabis as natural, gentle, even spiritual. And in many ways, it is. But nature can still come with side effects, especially when used chronically.
So yeah, enjoy your gummy if it helps you sleep. But maybe also… take a walk, check your blood pressure, and keep an eye on the research.
Because your heart? It deserves a little extra love too.