Smoking marijuana could make you three times more likely to die from high blood pressure

Smoking marijuana may increase the risk of dying from high blood pressure, according to new research.

The study, which was carried out by researchers at the University of Georgia, comes as the decriminalisation of marijuana continues to be explored across America – where it has already been criminalised in U.S states such as Colorado, Maine, Nevada, and Washington.

But there is no extensive data on marijuana use, meaning that researchers instead designed a retrospective study that followed up the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, in which participants aged 20 or above were asked if they had ever used marijuana.

MORE: Illegal Marijuana Farms Dump Shocking Amount of Toxic Waste

MORE: First medical marijuana dispensary opening in Hawaii

After working out an approximate estimate of how long the participants had been consuming marijuana, scientists then combined it with mortality data from 2011 – and were able to estimate that smokers were up to three times more likely to die from high blood pressure.

But the study is not without its limitations – as researchers were unable to determine if participants had used the drug continuously since first trying it.

Describing the study, lead author Barbara Yankey said: ‘Steps are being taken towards legalisation and decriminalisation of marijuana in the US, and rates of recreational marijuana use may increase substantially as a result.

However, there is little research on the impact of marijuana use on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular mortality.’