Medical Marijuana for High Blood Pressure

Is your blood pressure above 140/90 or worse 180/120? 

High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke. This silent killer doesn’t have any symptoms until it’s already affecting your heart and organs.  

While the causes of high blood pressure aren’t exactly known, there are some factors that are believed to contribute to it, such as some health conditions and lifestyle factors. 

It can often be challenging to control your high blood pressure; you’ll need to adapt to a healthier diet and start exercising. And depending on the severity of your conditions, you may need medications such as diuretics, ace inhibitors, and calcium channel blockers. Some people have to take a combination of these medications to get their blood pressure under control, and which ones you’ll need to take will depend on a variety of factors such as age and race.

There’s no doubt that medications come with a long list of side effects. This is why many people with hypertension try to control their condition by reducing their sodium intake and adapting to a healthier lifestyle. 

With the new laws making medical marijuana legal, there’s hope to replace the medications for better treatment. When it comes to marijuana, high blood pressure becomes lower almost immediately. 

But does weed and blood pressure actually go together? Here’s everything you’ll need to know about marijuana and hypertension.

So how does marijuana affect blood pressure, and does weed raise blood pressure? 

Medical marijuana offers many advantages for a wide range of medical conditions, including high blood pressure. There has been some controversy on the effects of marijuana on blood pressure, but over the past few years, the links between cannabis and blood pressure have shown the immediate effects, and long-term effects are promising for certain types of high blood pressure. And the best part is that this treatment method comes without the many side effects of the traditional medications.

Does Marijuana Raise or Lower Blood Presure?

But what does marijuana do to blood pressure when overused? When you overuse marijuana, it can have the opposite effect and increase your blood pressure. This is why it’s important that a cannabis doctor is advising you to use medical marijuana to treat your hypertension correctly. 

The localized cannabinoid receptors on the heart’s muscle (myocardium) respond to the cannabinoids by slowing your heart rate down. And the CBD element in cannabis releases cardioprotective factors that also slow down your heart rate, therefore lowering your blood pressure. 

CBD has proven to be helpful when it comes to reducing blood pressure, decreasing cholesterol, and maintaining a healthy weight. Each of these factors helps to reduce the risk of heart failure and protect against future heart attacks.

So to answer the question, does cannabis help with high blood pressure? The answer is yes when advised by your doctor.

Marijuana Effects on Blood Pressure

The effects that marijuana has on blood pressure have helped many get it under control. But it’s important that you understand the different types of strains of medical marijuana and how the different levels of THC and CBD will affect you, but both influence blood pressure levels.

The evidence suggests that cannabis can lower blood pressure by acting directly on the heart’s muscle. But it’s important that you understand self-medicating with marijuana isn’t the answer. This type of treatment should be advised by your doctor, just as with any element of your health.

Does THC raise blood pressure? The simple answer is no, but there are some instances that the THC can interact with certain medications and increase your blood pressure. This is why it’s essential that you are not self-medicating.

Can Cannabis Help with Hypertension?

Cannabis has been proven to reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure in many patients. Most of the research examines the effects that CBD has on hypertension. And studies have shown that CBD-dominant strains of medical marijuana help the heart not have to pump so hard; therefore, your blood pressure gets lower.

Best Strain for Blood Pressure

There are two main strains of medical marijuana – Indica and Sativa.  Because Indica has higher levels of CBD, it is the better choice for high blood pressure, and there is a greater therapeutic benefit to CBD for treating this condition.

While THC has been known to reduce high blood pressure, there are some factors that can increase your blood pressure depending on the medications you’re taking. 

But overall, if you’ve been struggling to lower your blood pressure, you might want to take a closer look into medical marijuana and the benefits of CBD.

Can You Get a Medical Card for High Blood Pressure?

If you live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana, your high blood pressure or hypertension will likely qualify for a medical card. Medical marijuana has become increasingly more popular due to the many studies that are being done on marijuana and blood pressure.

But the only way to know if you qualify for a medical card is to discuss your medical condition with a cannabis doctor. Finding a cannabis doctor is simple, and some states have a list of qualified doctors on their websites, and others can easily be found with a simple search online. 

At Elevate Holistics, we have partnered with doctors and dispensaries across the country. We want to simplify the process for you. And depending on your state, we provide telehealth services that allow us to perform your qualification without ever leaving your home. 

How to Get a Marijuana Card for Hypertension

Getting your medical card for hypertension is fairly simple regardless of what state you live in. And the first step is always the same. You’ll need to schedule an appointment with a qualified medical marijuana doctor to have them qualify your medical condition and provide you with proof so that you can complete the application to obtain your card. While the steps for applying may be different from state to state, this is the one thing that is the same across all states.