Leila Mohammadi, Matt Springer and their colleagues at UCSF presented a study at today’s (November 13, 2023) American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions showing that smoking marijuana compromises blood vessel function just like smoking tobacco cigarettes does. This result is not surprising because marijuana smoke is not that different from tobacco smoke. It is alsoContinue reading “Marijuana smokers have poorly functioning blood vessels like tobacco smokers “
Category Archives: cannabis
Two new studies link marijuana with heart disease, including in non-tobacco smokers
Two papers are being presented today (November 13, 2023) at the American Heart Association Annual Scientific Sessions that show marijuana use is associated with increased cardiovascular disease. The first, Daily Marijuana Use is Associated With Incident Heart Failure: “All of Us” Research Program reports a 34% increased risk of incident heart failure in daily recreationalContinue reading “Two new studies link marijuana with heart disease, including in non-tobacco smokers”
First longitudinal evidence linking e-cig use and death
Shauna Goldberg Scott and her colleagues recently published the first longitudinal evidence (where people are followed forward in time, the strongest kind of epidemiological study) showing that e-cigarette use was associated with increased risk of death. Their paper, Demographic, Clinical, and Behavioral Factors Associated With Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Use in a Large Cohort inContinue reading “First longitudinal evidence linking e-cig use and death”
FDA (and others) should integrate the relationship between cannabis and tobacco use
My UCSF colleagues and I submitted a public comment to the FDA Center for Tobacco Products regarding its upcoming strategic plan urging FDA to more strongly integrate the crossover between tobacco and cannabis use into its planning. While FDA does not (yet) have jurisdiction over cannabis, there is no question that growing cannabis use hasContinue reading “FDA (and others) should integrate the relationship between cannabis and tobacco use”
UC publishes oral history of Stanton Glantz: Putting Cardiovascular, Epidemiological, Economic, Political, and Policy Research into Action at UC San Francisco and Beyond
Today the Oral History Center at the University of California Bancroft Library published an oral history of my career, which is freely available to all. Beginning in elementary school in Cleveland, Ohio, the history follows me through college and gradual school. It discusses my work to develop the emergency protocols for the Apollo 5 missionContinue reading “UC publishes oral history of Stanton Glantz: Putting Cardiovascular, Epidemiological, Economic, Political, and Policy Research into Action at UC San Francisco and Beyond”
UCSF Tobacco Center Billion Lives Symposium available for online viewing
As in past years, the symposium is archived and available to watch for free here. This is the program: Keynote Panel: 20 Years of the Industry Documents: Past, Present and Future: Presentations by Faculty and Postdoctoral Scholars: Closing Remarks, Chris Shaffer, MS, UCSF Assistant Vice Chancellor and University Librarian The last several years’ symposia areContinue reading “UCSF Tobacco Center Billion Lives Symposium available for online viewing”
Using e-cigs, cigs, heated tobacco products, or marijuana once a day increases risk of heart arrythmias and causes remodeling of the heart
Huiliang Qiu, Matt Springer, and colleagues’ paper “Increased vulnerability to atrial and ventricular arrhythmias caused by different types of inhaled tobacco or marijuana products” makes two important points: (1) even very short daily exposures to tobacco and marijuana products have serious cumulative effects on the heart, and (2) nicotine and THC, the psychoactive components ofContinue reading “Using e-cigs, cigs, heated tobacco products, or marijuana once a day increases risk of heart arrythmias and causes remodeling of the heart“
Removing cannabis from Schedule I will make it possible to do long-needed research
On October 6, 2022, President Joe Biden announced pardons for people convicted to marijuana use and possession under federal law. He also announced that he was directing his administration to review marijuana’s listing as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which is defined as one with a high potential for abuse, noContinue reading “Removing cannabis from Schedule I will make it possible to do long-needed research”
Cannabis companies engage in “corporate social responsibility” activities similar to what tobacco companies do
The tobacco companies (and some other companies) use “corporate social responsibility” programs in which the companies stress some socially desirable behavior — such as affirmative action in hiring or supporting cultural institutions — to distract attention from the fact that they engage in predatory marketing of a dangerous product. As the legal cannabis industry emerges,Continue reading “Cannabis companies engage in “corporate social responsibility” activities similar to what tobacco companies do”
Excellent legal analysis of protecting bystanders from cannabis use in multiunit housing
Dan Orenstein recently published an excellent review and analysis of extending smokefree multiunit housing laws to include cannabis, “Multiunit Housing and Cannabis: Good Laws Make Good Neighbors.” In particular, he considers the impact of the fact that cannabis remains illegal under federal law as well as prohibited from public use even in states that haveContinue reading “Excellent legal analysis of protecting bystanders from cannabis use in multiunit housing”