Hypertension And Cannabis Use Explained

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a health problem that many North Americans face today, and the risk associated with a severe case of hypertension can be potentially life-threatening. High blood pressure, circulatory failure, aneurysm, heart attack, stroke, and cardiopathy are diseases that someone with untreated and unmanaged hypertension can develop.

Many who suffer from high blood pressure can introduce daily exercises, clean up their diet, and various other behavioural changes that can significantly impact one’s lifestyle to mitigate the risk of developing severe cardiovascular disease. Thankfully for Canadians, the country has been the world leader in screening, diagnosing, and managing hypertension. Cardiovascular remains the leading cause of death in the country.

New Research May Prove Cannabis To Be Beneficial To Help Reduce Blood Pressure

In Beer-Sheva, Israel, researchers of the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU), in partnership with Soroka University Medical Center, made new discoveries on the issue and may prove signs of reduced blood pressure in older adults suffering hypertension and consuming cannabis.

The research focused on older adults already showing signs of high blood pressure, with around-the-clock ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, ECG, body measurements and blood test at the beginning and after 90 days of cannabis therapy.

Results showed a reduction of diastolic and systolic blood pressure values a few hours after ingesting cannabis products such as oils and more traditionally smoked, which in common mortals terms means, (Diastolic) is the blood pressure values in between heartbeats and (Systolic) being the values when your heartbeats.

For reference, normal healthy blood pressure is 120/80 or less. Hypertension for adults is diagnosed when values get over 130/90 and hypotension (low blood pressure) is under 90/60 or less. 

Patients in the study showed lower values at night time, making researchers theorizing that the relief in pain associated with the use of cannabis is most likely a direct correlation of this reduction in blood pressure.

Can Cannabis Be Used To Treat Hypertension?

It is necessary to note that we, at Leafythings, are not qualified to give medical advice. Everyone should be seeking advice from a doctor before embarking on any self-medicating venture to treat their hypertension with the use of cannabis products. 

With that said, a few studies have proven CBD dominant strains in helping to lower your blood pressure by relieving pain and alleviating stress, which is one of the main factors in the rise of blood pressure. Products such as tinctures, skin balms or edibles may be more beneficial than smoking or vaping as the carbon dioxide produced by the act of smoking may be a factor itself in hypertension. 

Here are a few CBD dominant strains and product that might help relieve stress;

CBD Isolate Powder
Pure CBD isolate can be a great product to help patients with pain relief as it can be ingested in many ways, namely by incorporating it into a carrier oil such as coconut oil or medium-chain-triglycerides oil (MCT oil) to produce your own CBD tincture. Simply add the powder to your favourite skin balm to turn a simple moisturizer into a medical cream that can help you relieve pain on sensitive areas.

ACDC  THC: 1% CBD: 15%
This Sativa-dominant phenotype of the high-CBD cannabis strain Cannatonic has a very low THC level, so little to no intoxicating effects are felt when consuming this strain. Ideal for patients looking for a strain that can help them with pain relief, anxiety and even negates some of the side effects from chemotherapy. 

Highest Farmacy has numerous locations in Ontario with ACDC available.

Purple Wreck THC: 23.9% CBD: 0.5%
This hybrid is a 60/40 Sativa/Indica ratio that comes from the marriage of the famous Purple Urkle and Trainwreck strains. You can expect a complete body high with calming and sleepy attributes making this strain a good choice for treating insomnia, chronic pain and anxiety. Be careful of the munchies, as this strain can be known to make you hungry.

Done your research or consulted a Doctor already? Get your local Toronto Cannabis delivery company to send some products over or browse your local Weed dispensaries.