Marijuana as a Cause of Diffuse Coronary Vasospasm Leading to Cardiac Arrest

Abstract

Marijuana is considered as the most popular illicit drug around the world. It has numerous cardiovascular effects with myocardial infarction (MI) being a lethal one. The negative physiological effects of marijuana are well-studied, including tachycardia, nausea, memory impairment, anxiety, panic, and arrhythmia. We present a case of cardiac arrest following marijuana use in a patient who had a normal electrocardiogram (EKG) on presentation but diffuse coronary vasospasm on left heart catheterization (LHC) with no obstructive lesion. The patient had a transient episode of ST elevation on EKG following the procedure which resolved with an increased dose of nitroglycerine drip. Synthetic cannabinoids are more potent and not detected on a regular urine drug screen (UDS). In patients with low risk for cardiovascular events, particularly young adults, presenting with symptoms of MI/cardiac arrest, marijuana-induced MI should be suspected due to the severe adverse effects of its synthetic component.