Smoking marijuana found to have the same weakening effect on the blood vessels as cigarettes

Cannabis’s health benefits have helped it gain approval for medicinal use in several states, but it’s important to keep in mind that this does not mean that it’s perfectly healthy when smoked. In fact, if you’re smoking it, you might want to hear what researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, recently discovered. (Opt for a liquid form of hemp extracts to avoid the risks associated with smoking it.)

According to a new study, marijuana smoke causes the same straining effect on blood vessels that smoke from cigarettes does. The UCSF scientists reached this conclusion after exposing lab rats to secondhand marijuana and tobacco smoke.

After being exposed to either kind of smoke for just one minute, the blood vessel function of the rats was impaired by around 50 percent. Although the effects are short-term in nature, the researchers believe that repeated exposure causes the long-lasting damage and cardiovascular health problems that cigarette smokers often experience. Over time, arterial walls become damaged permanently, which can lead to stroke, blood clots, and heart attack.