The Complicated Relationship between Cannabis and Blood Thinners

When do people need Blood Thinners? Is it even something that crosses the mind of the ordinary person? We go ahead with our daily lives bumping and scratching ourselves without even giving it a second thought. But some people are in great danger because of their blood that clots easily, and it has life-threatening risks. The probability of needing blood thinners is greater for those suffering from heart diseases like strokes or heart attacks. Diseases like Lupus, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and obesity also is a cause of the need for Blood Thinners.

We naturally need some form of blood clotting because if we injure ourselves and break the skin, our bodies immediately start clotting the blood to stop us from bleeding out. People taking blood thinners run the risk of bleeding too much and have to be over cautious not to cut or hurt themselves. Any type of trauma is extremely dangerous when you are on blood thinners.

Can Cannabis be of Aid?

There are so many debilitating health issues where cannabis is an excellent treatment. But there are some conditions, especially when medication is taken, that raise some questions? One of these conditions is when blood thinners are taken. The whole idea of blood thinners is to act as an anticoagulant. Cannabis also acts as an anticoagulant, but it is a bit more complicated. In a study in 2017, it was found that the compounds THC and CBN have definite anticoagulant properties. It was found that CBD also has mild anticoagulant properties. Many doctors are therefore skeptic to prescribe cannabis for patients who use blood thinners. Because of the lack of knowledge and studies, they misunderstand that cannabis can actually replace anticoagulant meds in the long run. The true potential has to be studied more and, in a few years, more focused studies will see the light.

Medical Benefits of Cannabis

Because cannabis interacts naturally with a vast array of bodily functions, it makes it a great treatment. As the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) has the function to bring balance to our biological system, the cannabinoids in Cannabis help to reach the state of homeostasis. The cannabinoids bind to the various receptors in our body, working towards bringing balance to the various side effects of whatever disorder we might be suffering from.

One of the actions of cannabinoids is that it also affects blood cells on a cellular level. This makes it an effective alternative to blood thinners. It is eminent for blood to flow freely through the body. When some sort of blood clot forms in the arteries, it leads to dangerous situations. Sometimes, it happens when platelets build up inside of an artery or a vein. This is when blood thinners are prescribed. Blood thinners don’t change the consistency of the blood, but it inhibits the forming of blood clots. There are two types of blood thinners: antiplatelets - that stops the blood from clumping together and form a clot, and anticoagulants – that creates a chemical reaction extending the time it takes to form a clot.

What is the Effect of Cannabis on Blood Thinners?

One reason why it is important to involve your doctor when you want to include Cannabis in your treatment while you are taking other medication is that each of our bodies responds differently to medicine and even food. Cannabis can have an additive effect where the interaction between the different chemicals has an equal effect. There is no negative effect. But it also can act as a synergistic where the effect of two chemicals interacting is greater than the sum of their parts. For instance, cannabis effectively increases the potency of the medicine. This could have dangerous results.

CBD in Particular

Almost 60 % of all medicine on the market gets metabolized through certain enzymes in the liver. These enzymes, cytochrome P450, or CYP450, are exactly the same the liver uses to break down CBD. CBD acts as a very strong inhibitor of the CYP450 enzymes. This means that when you take CBD while on other medications, it could block the medication and allow more of the medication to enter your bloodstream.

Warfarin and Coumadin – When you use any of these blood thinners, CBD could block the metabolism of Warfarin or Coumadin and the effect of these meds become higher and more active. As a result, it can either turn toxic or cause other problems. In the case of Warfarin, it could lead to dangerous hemorrhage or traumatic bleeding.

CBD and Other Medications – Benzodiazepines like Xanax or Ativan used for treating anxiety could also be affected by CBD. CBD together with these meds could increase the side effects and lead to heavier drowsiness and sedated feeling. On some rare occasions, the drugs could turn toxic and affect the respiratory system. There are some antibiotics, antihistamines, calcium channel and beta-blockers that also might be affected by CBD.

Conclusion

It very much depends on the dosage of CBD that you plan to take with your medication. Low dosages of CBD seem to have no effect on the metabolism of other medications. It could also work to take CBD and the other meds at different times of the day because the liver enzymes would regain their function after a few hours. This would reduce the interaction of the drugs tremendously, and give you the benefit of both.