Studies in the past have shown that marijuana use can increase the odds of strokes, and a new study examined the differences in the types and locations of strokes between those who have used marijuana and those who have abstained from the use of this drug. According to the University Hospital of Strasbourg young adults who use marijuana tend to have strokes which are the result of arteries which have narrowed in the skull far more often than those who do not use this drug. The study involved 334 patients who were all under 45 years old, and who had all suffered an ischemic stroke due to the blocked flow of blood to the brain. The researchers did caution that the study did not show a causative relationship, meaning that the researchers could not prove the strokes were caused by the marijuana use but there were some differences in stroke characteristics between marijuana users and those who did not use this drug.
Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. Neurology vice chair Dr. Richard Libman discussed the study on stroke risks and marijuana use. “This is an important study because it helps to change the public mindset about marijuana. Over the last few years, there have been numerous publications showing groups of young people, often teenagers, having strokes while smoking large quantities of marijuana,” he said. “Almost definitely, marijuana is not as safe as many would like to think of it, including from the stroke standpoint.” With many American states trying to legalize this drug for medical or even recreational use these study findings show that caution should be used.
