I am a mild marijuana user, I smoke maybe once or twice a week (one or two bowels) and am just wondering what is the relationship between marijuana and hypertension?

I have low hypertension, my doctor says he wouldnt even call it stage one, but just elevated blood pressure. I was on a very mild dosage of blood pressure medicine and it really didnt do anything. I eat normal, excersice regularly and check my blood pressure every once and a while. My numbers are averaging 135/80.

I have read tons of articles on the issue, and have looked at both sides. There is a 20 heart beat increase within the first hour of use, but thats about the same as walking up a flight of stairs. I do realize that chronic smokers have great risks that are about equivilant to regular tobacco use.

Dale gieringer, ph.D, states however that the main drug found in marijuana, thc, may help reduce the risk of artherosclerosis. He also states that the increase in heart rate isn't significant enough to pose a threat, and that mild usage of the drug isn't as big of a problem as the media sometimes claims.

So basically what it boils down to is, do I really have a great risk in using marijuana with my mild hypertention? And lastly, can someone clear up the myths and truths about marijuana usage in relation to the heart.