Smoking pot can do damage to your heart, according to a recent study from the American College of Cardiology. Researchers examined medical records of known pot smokers and found a significant increase in the risk for the following heart conditions:
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- Sudden cardiac death
They also found that these patients had other unhealthy heart factors — namely obesity, high blood pressure, alcohol use and cigarette smoking. Still, marijuana use was independently associated with a 26 percent jump in the risk of stroke and 10 percent increase in the risk of having heart failure.
While the link isn’t 100 percent clear, researchers do suggest, however, that it has something to do with how pot interacts with the functioning of your heart. More specifically, the cells in your heart muscle are said to have cannabis receptors that impact the heart muscle‘s ability to contract, according to previous studies.
Other short and long-term effects linked with smoking pot include:
- Short-term memory problems
- Significant drop in IQ and cognitive abilities
- Problems with coordination (impairing safe driving or playing sports)
- Sexual problems (erectile dysfunction)
- Potential development of opiate abuse
- Relationship problems
- Financial difficulties
- Greater chances of being unemployed or not getting good jobs
We Help You Better Understand the Disease of Addiction
Education is the cornerstone of addiction recovery, both in terms of the harmful side effects of drugs and alcohol and the disease of addiction itself. At 10 Acre Ranch, we believe that the more a client knows the science behind addiction, the more equipped he is to confront his behavior and retrain his brain. Since addiction requires a variety of interventional and behavioral modifications, we provide men at our drug and alcohol treatment center with addiction discussion groups, lectures, workshops, literature, and other resources. To learn more about our rehab, call us today: 877-228-4679.