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The risk of cardiovascular events on cannabis’ highest day

Singh SM, Koh M, Fang J, Ko DT. Can J Cardiol. 2019; 35(11):1589-91. Epub 2019 May 22. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2019.05.020.


Knowledge of the acute cardiovascular effects of cannabis consumption remains largely unknown, and is important given the changing landscape of legalization of recreational cannabis use. “4/20” is an annual event where many individuals gather to consume cannabis. An increased risk of adverse health events such as motor vehicle accidents have previously been reported to occur on “4/20”. In this study, population-based administrative databases in Ontario, Canada were used to evaluate the association between “4/20” and cardiovascular events. An increased risk of cardiovascular events on a population-level was not observed on “4/20”. Additional research into the changes in prevalence of use of cannabis with recreational legalization and acute and chronic risk with cannabis use is suggested.

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