Cannabis may lower BP

A chemical compound found in cannabis, also known as hashish or marijuana, may help lower blood pressure, say scientists after testing it on rats.

Yehoshua Maor, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, has created a synthetic version of a minor cannabis constituent named cannabigerol, which has been shown to help in lowering blood pressure, reported science portal The News Medical. Maor carried out laboratory experiments with rats and found that this novel compound reduced blood pressure when administered to rats in relatively low doses.

The additional tests carried out by him also showed that the compound brought about another beneficial effect — relaxation of the blood vessels. The compounds produced an anti-inflammatory response.