Smoking or ingesting marijuana seems to be safe for most people, but for older people with cardiovascular disease, it may cause problems.
The benefits of marijuana
As the benefits of marijuana come to light, more states are choosing to legalize the drug. Some people are using it relieve chronic pain, combat nausea or improve sleep, others find that it helps relief stress and anxiety. In appropriate doses, weed seems to be safe for most people, but one particular case is highlighting the potential risks for older adults with cardiovascular disease.
A dangerous lollipop
According to a report published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, a 70-year-old man with stable coronary artery disease ate a lollipop infused with 90 mg of THC. He was hoping to minimize pain and improve his sleep.
To give you an idea of how much THC that is, a typical joint would probably have only 7 mg of THC. Likewise, people with cancer or AIDS who are looking to fight off nausea and beef up their appetite might start with a 2.5 mg dose of synthetic THC called dronabinol.
After eating the lollipop, the man had anxiety, hallucinations and a heart attack. He experienced chest pain, a rapid heart rate, hypertension and the release of catecholamine (a stress hormone). Luckily, most of these symptoms disappeared after the effects of the marijuana wore off.
Safety recommendations
Because most people don’t consume that much THC, it’s likely a rare occurrence. Still, doctors advise older people to start with the smallest dose possible or, better still, to avoid THC altogether if they have a cardiovascular condition.
One safe alternative is cannabidiol, which is a nonpsychoactive alternative to THC. For older adults who want to try THC, it might be safer to try a vaporizer, for example, rather than consuming a brownie or candy with THC, because it would expose them to a lower dosage.
