In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open , researchers explored whether cannabis use is linked to mortality from all causes, cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Their findings indicate that heavy cannabis use is associated with a significantly higher risk of CVD mortality among females. However, they observed no association between cancer and all-cause mortality among the entire sample of males and females.
Study: Heavy Lifetime Cannabis Use and Mortality by Sex . Image Credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.
com Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug worldwide, and its increasing legalization underscores the need to understand its health impacts. Previous research has suggested potential cardiovascular risks associated with cannabis use, but these studies often focused on specific populations, limiting the generalizability of their findings. Furthermore, there has been a lack of research examining the differential effects of cannabis on males and females.
Although cannabis use for medical purposes is expanding, its safety and efficacy for various conditions remain unclear. Some studies have suggested a link between heavy cannabis use and increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Still, others have found no such associations, often constrained by methodological limitations like small sample sizes, short follow-up periods, or limited age ranges of participants.
Only one prior study explored the relationship between cannabis use and cancer mortality, fin.
