- Kevin Smith says an ER doctor credited marijuana with saving his life during his massive heart attack
- The doctor apparently said that being high helped the Clerks director remain calm during the emergency.
- A New York cardiologist has a different view on how weed impacts the heart
Weed has been linked to a number of health benefits, including pain management and weight loss — and, if you ask Kevin Smith, protection during a heart attack.
In a Tuesday night appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Smith recalled the night he fell ill while filming his Showtime special, Silent But Deadly. Initially, he thought he was simply too stoned from the joint he’d smoked earlier, but when he was rushed to the hospital, he learned he was experiencing more than just a bad trip.
It was a massive “widow-maker” heart attack.
“I honestly thought I was too high,” Smith recalled.
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Smith asked the emergency room doctor: “I hate to ask this question man, but did I have a heart attack because of the weed? Because I smoked a joint right before the show.”
According to Smith, the doctor said the opposite was true: “That joint, you kept calm,” he recalls the man saying. “They told you you were having a massive heart attack … That joint saved your life.”
Smith was relieved to hear the news, and joked to Colbert about printing the response on a shirt.
But could weed actually save your life during a heart attack?
MensHealth.com looked for a second opinion from Dr. Michael Goyfman, director of clinical cardiology at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills hospital. Sorry stoners, but our expert doesn’t exactly agree with Smith’s doctor.
Could being chill help during a heart attack?
“It’s theoretically possible, but I really don’t think it has much significance,” Goyfman said. “I mean, certainly you want to control the blood pressure, so remaining calm helps in that sense.”
Goyfman believes Smith’s initials instincts were more accurate: “I think it’s possible that the heart attack was triggered by the marijuana.”
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The cardiologist explained that there “seems to actually be an association of marijuana use and increasing heart attacks.”
Although there isn’t a plethora of research on the topic, a cohort study published in 2017 found that recreational marijuana users were more likely to suffer from heart attacks compared to nonsmokers. The study doesn’t prove that pot causes heart attacks — only that there’s a link between the two.
Goyfman pointed to other anecdotal evidence that weed isn’t exactly heart-healthy — like in 2014 when a 21-year old was treated for a heart attack that doctors believe was induced by marijuana.
Science still doesn’t offer any definitive answers on how weed impacts the heart, but Goyfman still cautions against its use.
“Generally speaking, some of the evidence points to an adverse effect,” he said. “There’s a potential for harm and no evidence of any benefit.”
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the network for which Smith was filming Silent But Deadly. It was for Showtime.
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