High Blood Pressure

In America, statistics show that 31% of all adults suffer from high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Someone who is a long-term sufferer of hypertension will may experience severe damage to artery walls, blood vessels, and organs such as the heart, liver and kidney. Heart attacks are common in those who are victims of hypertension. Other dangers of high blood pressure include strokes, brain aneurysms, constricted blood vessels in the kidney and torn or damaged blood vessels in the eyes, sometimes leading to permanent blindness. Long-term hypertension can also cause brain damage and memory loss.

With all that said, I think it’s fair to say that cannabis should be considered to treat those with high blood pressure and ultimately save their lives. Unlike many medications from pharmaceutical companies that are commonly prescribed for high blood pressure, marijuana has little - if any - negative side effects. Many medications prescribed for hypertension, such as beta blockers, are dangerous to use on people with heart problems. Excuse me, but most people with hypertension also will have heart problems. Yet these drugs are still prescribed.

While further research still needs to be conducted, initial studies and research groups indicate that cannabis may be a perfectly viable option for treating hypertension. In tests conducted on lab animals, researchers determined that marijuana opened up the blood vessels in those animals with high blood pressure, thus lowering and reducing the hypertension. Other research on humans has shown that upon smoking or vaporizing cannabis, the heart rate speeds up at first, before slowing down with activity. Generally it takes about 5 - 10 minutes for a person’s heart rate to slow after smoking marijuana.

Those who have studies the effects and causes of hypertension, know that some of the main contributing factors to high blood pressure are obesity, anxiety and insomnia. In all three of those cases, marijuana has been shown to be a viable medication. By treating those symptoms, marijuana helps to eliminate - or at least reduce - hypertension in the first place.

If you think you may be suffering from high blood pressure and don’t want the dangers associated with pharmaceutical medications prescribed for that, then seriously consider talking to a 420-friendly doctor about using cannabis to treat hypertension.

Comments

lindzzz | Mar 1, 2012

I have never thought about healthy or regulated blood pressure as a medical benefit of cannabis, but I find it an interesting idea. I think that more research needs to be done, and of course people need to make sure that they are healthy enough to ingest cannabis by smoking, and if not use a vaporizer or possibly tincture. With or without hypertension, it is important to keep track of your blood pressure and make sure you are maintaining a healthy number. I can't attribute my good blood pressure wholly to marijuana, but I can say that I have never had any problems yet.

Guest | Mar 22, 2012

This is very interesting. I am a 60 year old woman who smoked marijuana daily for 30 years but gave it up recently because of random drug tests when I started a new job. I have never suffered with high blood pressure before - until now when I am completely clear of all trace of it in my blood. It makes you wonder doesn't it?

Guest | Dec 3, 2012

I have started using cannibis a few months ago to treat my long term battle with severe headaches. I am surprised by the results. My headaches are mostly gone, my IBS is completely gone, I sleep through the night and my blood pressure is now at normal levels.

Guest | Dec 23, 2012

Regarding the first guest - Stopping marijuana abruptly has been shown to increase blood pressure. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3045206/. Whether this is a temporary effect or it indicates that mj generally lowers blood pressure is unclear.

Guest | Feb 21, 2013

My BP was 132/101 today and last night at rest 135/89 laying in bed. I am slightly overweight but I have tried everything I work out at the gym 6 days a week and watch my calorie intake, on a DASH diet and watch my potassium and sodium intake vigoriously, and after all this, my BP has gotten worse. I am at the point where I must see a doctor and will need to weight my options regarding medication. I DO NOT want to go on BP medication as it destroys the body and numerous doctors back this claim up. It would be nice to have a natural option that "might work" vs. take the pill and suffer. BTW a known fact is that the National Eye Institute started research in 1978 and stated "side affects noted, including an increase in heart rate and decrease in blood pressure in studies using smoked marijuana", therefore studies have already taken place over 30 years ago.

I live in Florida and Florida is the harshest state with old laws and policies and I do not have time to wait for the ignorance of law makers to consider this a dangerous alternative, I actually may consider leaving the state to one that is sensitive to the health and well being of law abiding, productive and contributing citizens that do not intend to break the law, but must do what they have to do to survive.

Guest | Mar 4, 2013

Article would be a lot more appreciated if it had sources. Just saying. :)

Guest | Mar 15, 2013

As one that has used cannabis for forty plus years to (relax), I have found that it does indeed reduce BP significantly. (when used properly in my case) High BP runs in my family with mother, father and sister never partaking of the product but in need of lots of expensive pharmaceutical pills to try to control BP. My father died of a brain aneurysm and mother and sister both had heart attacks and had stents placed in their arteries. I too had a minor heart attack in 2008 and went to have a stent inserted in my right coronary artery but the surgeon backed out when he found in the angiogram that the local ancillary vessels seemed to be directing the blood around the problem area and he did not want to risk loosening plaque if he didn't need to.

My wife asked both my family GP and cardiologist if cannabis was dangerous for me and they both confirmed that It may in fact be of a slight benefit (when used properly) with it's relaxing qualities.

After my heart attack, I bought a home BP monitor and I have conducted my own tests many many times with excellent results 99% of the time. Prior to using any cannabis even taking prescribed meds regularly, (Ramipril, Metoprolol, Lipitor, Plavix and Asprin) my normal BP is still very high normally running 150 to 180 over 90 or so. If I use a little cannabis, it may spike 10 points higher for a few minutes, (Stress from inhaling the smoke) but will drop like a rock to a range of 110 to 125 over 80 or so and hold there for a few hours.

I have never had a good BP reading by either my GP or Cardiologist as I have always been "straight" when they have checked it. I would love to do a clinically controlled test with my cardiologist to prove this beyond any skeptics doubt.

Guest | Mar 30, 2013

As a regular smoker, anytime I went to the doctor, my BP was always "a little on the high side", but nothing to worry about. After going three months without smoking, my BP was at stroke level. I am now on medication and have started smoking again to keep the numbers lower. It's the smoking on a regular basis that suppresses high BP.

Guest | Apr 26, 2013

I attempted to give blood and my bp was 160/104. I had quit using cannabis so I could pass the mandatory drug tests for employment. When I smoked my bp was 105/70. I'm going back to cannabis and will keep my health regardless of employment.

Guest | May 30, 2013

i have always had high blood pressure and at 58 years of age with bp 252 over 141 have been taking beta blockers and ace inhibitors plus bp pills total of seven pills have had no libido and no energy what would be the most effective way of using weed as i have thrown the pills out

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