Smoking cannabis CAN kill you: German researchers identify two men who died purely as a result of using the drug



It was known cannabis could kill when used alongside other drugs

But, scientists didn't know if cannabis use alone could be fatal

They carried out post mortem examinations on people who died after using it

They found two people whose deaths couldn't be attributed to anything else

Both died shortly after using the drug when their hearts started beating either too fast or too slowly - neither had a history of heart problems



It is possible to die as a direct result of smoking cannabis, new research shows.



German scientists have identified two people who died purely as a result of smoking the drug.



It was previously known that using marijuana could be fatal if it was used in conjunction with other drugs – such as by triggering heart conditions or by causing cancer.



Smoking cannabis alone can be fatal as it can cause heart problems, German researchers have discovered

However, whether the drug could kill unaided had remained unclear, New Scientist reports.



Now, scientists at the University Hospital Düsseldorf in Germany have carried out the first full post mortem examinations on people who have died after using the drug.



The team, led by Dr Benno Hartung, carried out 15 examinations.

They performed tests including toxicology tests and genetic tests to rule out any other causes of death.

They discovered that the deaths of two of the patients could not be put down to anything other than marijuana use.



Both of these people were men who had died after their hearts started beating either too fast or too slowly.



The researchers believe that this change in heart rhythm – called arrhythmia - was caused by cannabis.



The reason they came to this conclusion was that both had smoked the drug within a few hours of their death and neither had any history of heart problems.

The researchers found two men who had died shortly after smoking cannabis. Neither had any history of heart problems and both died when their hearts started beating either too fast or too slowly

While the German researchers now believe they have proved that cannabis can kill, it remains unclear how it can trigger heart problems.



Dr Hartung believes cannabis could trigger diseases that increase the risk of heart conditions.



Despite the findings, some people believe the risk of death is not the most significant risk associated with use of the drug.



David Raynes from the UK National Drug Prevention Alliance told New Scientist: ‘These deaths are rare and will remain rare. The real risks are from long-term effects on the young brain.’

