Does Weed Increase Heart Rate?

Yes, smoking weed can increase the user’s heart rate for up to three hours after smoking according to the United Sates National Institute on Drug Abuse. The THC in weed in particular can increase the smoker’s heart rate because it is a vasodilator — this means that it causes the blood vessels in the body to expand. When their blood vessels expand, the marijuana user’s blood pressure can drop. Their heart will then start beating faster to compensate for the low pressure.

If you experience an increased heart rate while smoking weed, there are a few steps you can take:

• Stop smoking weed for the time being.
• Slowly sip a glass of water.
• Distract yourself until the feeling passes. This will usually be about an hour or two, but it may take up to three hours for effects to subside.

Marijuana smokers who experience a notably increased heart rate may wish to try a strain of cannabis with less THC — ten per cent at most. Sativa strains are also thought to worsen heart rate increases, so an Indica strain may be a good alternative. Above all, it is important to smoke slowly to avoid overindulging in marijuana, which can worsen the effects on a person’s heart rate.

According to the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County, marijuana can cause the user’s heart rate to speed up by as much as fifty per cent. It can also cause chest pains.

Weed is also known to cause more severe heart palpitations that interfere with the relaxation sought by many marijuana users. If you experience heart palpitations or frequent heart rate increases due to smoking weed, it is best to see a doctor in order to avoid more serious health consequences.

The increased heart rate from smoking marijuana can lead to heart attacks, heart rhythm disorders and strokes. Elderly people and people with pre-existing heart conditions are most at risk of heart complications from smoking weed, but young people are not exempt. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, marijuana use may result in cardiovascular-related complications and even death in young and middle-aged adults. Nearly 2 per cent of the complications from marijuana reported in the study were cardiovascular in nature, and a quarter of those complications resulted in death.

“There is now compelling evidence on the growing risk of marijuana-associated adverse cardiovascular effects, especially in young people,” Dr. Jouanjus, the lead author of the study, said. “It is therefore important that doctors, including cardiologists, be aware of this, and consider marijuana use as one of the potential causes in patients with cardiovascular disorders.”