uh- oh, here we go-
please, just pass me the " MJ gummy bears",lol-
This Could Be the Worst News for Marijuana Stocks Since Jeff Sessions' Appointment
Could marijuana be worse than tobacco? A recent study suggests that could be the case.
Keith Speights
(TMFFishBiz)
Aug 20, 2017 at 9:03AM
Marijuana-stock holders were understandably rattled when President Trump selected Jeff Sessions as attorney general several months ago. Sessions is a longtime opponent to legalization of marijuana. So far, there haven't been any substantive efforts to target the marijuana industry in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana. However, concerns that Sessions could make such a move remain.
Now, though, there's news that could rattle investors even more. A recent medical study found troubling health issues associated with marijuana use. This could be the worst news for some marijuana stocks since Sessions' appointment as attorney general.
Worse than tobacco?
In a recent study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, lead author Barbara A. Yankey of the School of Public Health at Georgia State University and a team found that marijuana use could present a greater risk to cardiovascular health than smoking tobacco cigarettes. That's worrisome, considering the significant risk factor that smoking cigarettes is for high blood pressure and poor cardiovascular health.
And this study didn't just find that marijuana could be a little worse than cigarettes. The Georgia State University researchers reported that marijuana users were greater than three times as likely to die from hypertension as non-users. The longer individuals used marijuana, the higher their risk of death from hypertension. However, no link was found between marijuana use and death from heart disease or cerebrovascular disease.
The Georgia State team analyzed data from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted back in 2005 and 2006. This survey included 1,213 participants ages 20 and over. Roughly 57% of the participants had used marijuana either currently or in the past. The average duration of marijuana use was 11.5 years.
The researchers merged the NHANES data with 2011 mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics. They then estimated the links between marijuana use and duration of use, with death from hypertension, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. The team controlled for cigarette use and demographic variables, including sex, age, and ethnicity, in the statistical analysis.
Yankey stated:
Our results suggest a possible risk of hypertension mortality from marijuana use. This is not surprising, since marijuana is known to have a number of effects on the cardiovascular system. Marijuana stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen demand. Emergency rooms have reported cases of angina and heart attacks after marijuana use.
Is this a big deal?
If marijuana truly can lead to higher death rates from hypertension than cigarettes, this recent study could be a big deal. Why? Marijuana legalization proponents highlight the safety of using marijuana. The American public currently views marijuana as safer than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. Support for marijuana legalization would likely drop if the drug presents more health risks than many now believe it does.
Several states could be on the verge of legalizing recreational use of marijuana. New Jersey's upcoming election in November could put the state on the path to become the second-largest state after California for legal recreational use of the drug, with the Democratic candidate for governor supporting legalization. However, expect legalization opponents to extensively use the recent Georgia State study identifying serious health concerns about marijuana.
The latest information also plays into the hands of Sessions and others in the Trump administration who would like to clamp down on marijuana businesses in states that have already legalized marijuana. Their argument could be that steps to enforce federal anti-marijuana laws are needed to protect public health.
