Cannabis Allegedly Responsible for Death of Two Men with Heart Conditions

A recent study conducted by German researchers shows how cannabis may have been responsible for the death of two adults. According to findings, though the two men both had underlying health conditions, these individuals suffered from serious heart issues. Cannabis may have exacerbated symptoms relating to their health issues, which ultimately led to their deaths.

The two outwardly healthy young men, 23 and 28, died unexpectedly after smoking the drug.

"To our knowledge, these are the first cases of suspected fatal cannabis intoxications where full post-mortem investigations (...) were carried out," said the researchers, via TIME. "After exclusion of other causes of death we assume that the young men experienced fatal cardiovascular complications evoked by smoking cannabis."

For the study, researchers examined 15 deaths that were linked to marijuana use. They found that 13 deaths were caused by other factors. However, the other two deaths appeared to be caused by cannabis, which exacerbated the underlying medical conditions in the two men.

"We assume that they are very rare, isolated cases," said one of the study authors, Dr. Benno Hartung, via the Huffington Post.

Researchers concluded that though cannabis use alone is unlikely to result in death, those with cardiovascular issues who smoke the drug should be aware of potential health consequences.

"Cannabis does not paralyze the breathing or the heart," said Jost Leune, who is the head of the German Association for Drugs and Addiction. "Deaths due to cannabis use are usually accidents that are not caused by the substance, but to the circumstances of use."

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Forensic Science International.