Correlation does not imply causation. Even if it did, that doesn't necessarily mean the net effect is bad. Jogging raises blood pressure and heart rate too. It gets a bad name because it hangs out with a bad crowd (namely, the garbage in cigarette smoke). Most of the studies are done on smoking, not on nicotine. Do not confuse the two. Nicotine is only a mild stimulant.
it's most certainly not causation. Simply because it is a potent parasympathomimetic stimulant, right away you have an effect on the heart and vascular system and the central nervous system. Seeing as it is a parasympathomimetic alkaloid it therefore constricts and eventually damages blood vessels, (vasoconstriction) with extended use over time, just like cocaine, morphine, heroin, codeine, Benzedrine and even caffeine to
some extent. Worth noting, Nicotine constitutes only 1.0–3.0% naturally of dried tobacco.
Alkaloids are nitrogenous compounds with significant biological effects on animals/humans. They are biologically produced to defend the plant against attack. Some are beneficial for us in small doses, but many are highly toxic.. scopolamine, atropine, Solanine, strychnine..etc.
Going back, to Cannabis and THC.... This
lipid developed for a completely different reason. It most likely developed in Cannabis as a response to protect against short UV damage at higher elevations . THC is extremely adept at absorbing UV light ( more so than many other naturally occurring chemical compounds), thus protecting the plant against sun burn and genetic damage. An interesting factoid, THC is highest in the Himalayan mountain region in Cannabis Sativa ƒ. Indica (commonly referred to as Cannabis Indica). Landraces from that region of the world have been shown to produce 20-25% THC value in the wild and more when subjected to artificial growing environments (the common grow tent/box).
Cannabis is a very interesting plant, and the more we learn about it the more fascinating it becomes.
Yes it is true we have endocannabinoid receptors. which are to sum up
endogenous lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors, and cannabinoid receptor proteins that are expressed throughout the mammalian central nervous system (including the brain) and peripheral nervous system.
Flores A, Maldonado R, Berrendero F (2013)
It's all very interesting stuff. Everyone has a different reaction to consuming it, sometimes it's pleasant and other times when you least expect it, can be downright scary. Will it kill you?,
no... will it make you feel like you are dying or going crazy,
positively yes.
Done a lot of research on the plant for my other field of study, botany....
my 2 cents worth.
