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The new study, the first to investigate differences in stroke between marijuana users and non-users, found that ischemic strokes in young adults who use marijuana are more likely to result from stenosis, or narrowing of the arteries in the skull, than strokes in non-users.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the US. It consists of dried leaves, flowers, stems and seeds from the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. These contain the mind-altering chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other related compounds.

Use is widespread among young people, growing numbers of whom believe that it is not dangerous.

With four US states and DC having legalized marijuana for recreational use, and 19 other states legalizing marijuana in some form, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) state that it is “particularly important for people to understand what is known about both the adverse health effects and the potential therapeutic benefits linked to marijuana.

As a medication, clinical trials are currently taking place to investigate the use of cannabinoids to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis; and there are already two preparations approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) involving THC.

Read More – Source: Stroke in marijuana users linked to arterial stenosis – Medical News Today