Cardiac arrest following cannabis use: A case report

Abstract

Background: Cannabis, or Marijuana, remains one of the most universally used recreational drugs. Over the last four decades, its popularity has risen considerably as it became easily accessible and relatively affordable. Peak use is amongst the young aged 18 to 25 years, although these figures are now shifting towards earlier teens. A strongly installed culture still regards cannabis a harmless drug, yet as more reports have shown there are considerable adverse cardiovascular events linked with its use. Case Presentation: In this paper, we present the case of a 15-year-old male who suffered a cardiac arrest following cannabis use and survived the episode. Conclusion: Cardiac arrest is a rare and possibly fatal consequence of cannabis use. Public awareness should be raised by extensively promoting all potential complications associated with its use. © 2009 Sattout and Nicol; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.