Marijuana legalization tied to rise in heart hospitalizations, study finds

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe Kelce selfie is still bothering me, but fine.

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentA new study links marijuana legalization to more heart hospitalizations, and it says nothing about proving it.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, so what's the one-sentence version for someone who just woke up and is already scared?

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentStates that legalized saw more heart admissions, but the researchers say the study cannot prove legalization caused the increases.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentGot it. Who did this, and how big was it?

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt was published in BMJ Open, led by Dr. Samuel Slavin of Boston University.

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThey analyzed more than fifty million hospital discharge records from twenty twelve to twenty eighteen.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentFifty million records. That's a real sample.

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   Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt is. And it compared thirteen Western states, including Colorado, Oregon, Washington and California, with other regions.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentAnd what did it find in those states?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentFor each year of sales, admission rates were nearly four percent higher for heart failure, three percent higher for heart attacks, and just over two percent higher for atrial fibrillation.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentPer year of sales. So it stacks up, like a subscription that bills your arteries.

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThat's a comparison I can't defend. It's a rate that rises with each year, in the data. Nobody has shown the mechanism.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentHow did we get here? Why is legalization even in a heart study?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentAs of June twenty twenty-five, medical cannabis was legal in forty-one states and recreational use in twenty-four. Researchers say legalization is associated with wider use.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo who's affected most?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentResearchers point to older people, who already face higher cardiovascular risk and who are among those more widely using cannabis under legalization policies.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, but supporters will say a link isn't a cause. Wait, you already said that.

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentTwice. The supporters' view is on the page, and so is the authors' own caution.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentAnd the other side of the argument?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe researchers say the findings point to potential adverse effects on population health and recommend a cautious approach to legalization.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentWhat happens next?

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentI assume more studies, and the cause question stays open. That's the part that matters most.

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    Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentSo, one sentence: a big study found a pattern, and the authors say it doesn't show a cause.

25. 

    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the study's own conclusion is a read receipt. Seen, can't confirm.