With the expanded legalization of cannabis across states, the usage of medical marijuana and edibles among the adult population has also been found to have interesting, and sometimes – unintentional benefits. A recently conducted study reports a 75% rise in the adult usage of cannabis from 2015 to 2018. Another study has shown that many of the adults using marijuana may be receiving an unexpected health benefit due to the usage of marijuana and that it could also benefit those in older age groups, such as 65 and above that also suffer from the same condition.
The study in question was conducted by researchers of Soroka University Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University. The outcome of this study has shown that cannabis consumption among adults could be a means of regulating as well as reducing hypertension and high blood pressure.
Hypertension, or high blood pressure in simpler words, is common among Americans with 1 in 4 people fighting the disease. It refers to a condition of strain at your heart and blood vessels – increasing the risk for heart disease or stroke.
Though a lot of medicines have been discovered to help deal with hypertension, none of them have been able to fully eradicate the disease. Additionally, these medicines happen to come with a list of side effects that could impact patients’ health in other ways. However, emerging research outlines that the endogenous cannabinoid system found in cannabis plants could be of great help in regulating blood pressure, but the mechanism through which this might happen hasn’t been fully discovered yet.
Some research that has been conducted shows that anandamide and related endocannabinoids are most likely to suppress cardiac contractility which causes hypertension in general. The experts also seem to suggest that the manipulation of endocannabinoid systems might also help to treat multiple different cardiovascular disorders alongside hypertension.
To help back this evidence, a group of researchers studied patients with hypertension over the age of 60. These patients had been prescribed cannabis for consumption and monitored with an ambulatory blood pressure device every day. The researchers also recorded the patients’ blood reports, ECGs, and body measurements before the time they were prescribed cannabis. The same information was recorded past three months of cannabis consumption for comparison.
The outcome the researchers found was a significant reduction in the values of patients’ diastolic and systolic blood pressure, with them reaching the lowest point post three hours of consuming cannabis via either smoking, vaping, or oral extracts. The patients showed a great reduction in their blood pressures both in the daytime and the nighttime, with much significant reduction in the nighttime.
As a reason to how and why cannabis consumption resulted in reduced hypertension, the researchers highlighted, “because cannabis usually seems to ease upon stress and chronic pain.” Creating an environment that eases a patient of stress and pain is most likely to help reduce the pressure on your heart and blood vessels – regulating your blood pressure and hypertension as an outcome.
Though cannabis research is still at an early stage due to federal government regulations in the U.S., it’s making an impact with the expanded legalization of cannabis cultivation, production, and consumption across many states. Also, the potential medicinal benefits of cannabis have been demonstrated in the past and can’t be disregarded, which is why more research is needed to discover all the plant has to offer. The research might not have been able to discover the exact process yet, it suggests that cannabis could play a significant role in regulating and reducing hypertension among adults.
The increasing trend of cannabis consumption among older adults past the age of 60 looks like it could continue. It may help reduce hypertension among them which is likely to be found in 1 in 4 American adults and is a potential cause of death for many. While further studies are being conducted and patients wait for cannabis to become a potential clinical treatment for hypertension, you always have access to a wide variety of cannabis products at your favorite dispensary near the las vegas strip, Inyo Las Vegas!
We have an incredible variety of cannabis products available from the flower to high-tech vapes and pre-rolls as well as cannabis-infused edibles. All you need to do is scroll through the detailed menu, find your product and place your order! We have convenient curbside pickup and delivery services or you can visit us in-store to browse our selection and speak with our experienced and knowledgeable budtenders about any cannabis questions you have!
