Adults addicted to marijuana are at a 60% higher risk of experiencing their first heart attack, stroke, or another major cardiovascular event compared to those without cannabis use disorder.
This information comes from a recent study by the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine in Canada, published in the journal Addiction.
Researchers reviewed the records of nearly 60,000 Canadian patients who had not experienced an adverse cardiovascular event as of January 2012, following them through December 2019.
Half of the study participants had cannabis use disorder—defined as the inability to stop using marijuana despite health and social issues—and half did not.
The findings revealed that nearly 2.5% of individuals with cannabis use disorder experienced their first major cardiovascular event during those eight years, compared to just 1.5% of those without the disorder.
The study does not provide sufficient information to directly link cannabis use with adverse cardiac events, according to lead researcher Dr. Anees Bahji, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the university.
“But we can go so far as to say that Canadians with cannabis use disorder appear to have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people without the disorder,” he stated in a news release.
The study’s findings are consistent with other research. For instance, daily marijuana users are about a third more likely to develop coronary artery disease than those who have never used the recreational drug, according to a study published in February.
“There are probably certain harms of cannabis use that weren’t recognized before, and people should take that into account,” said Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, a physician at Stanford University and the study’s lead author, in a news release at the time.
Researchers found that those who used cannabis monthly did not show an increased risk of coronary artery disease.
Given the risks associated with marijuana use, researchers recommend users inform their doctors about their habit for monitoring heart health.
Marijuana smoke contains “many of the same toxins, irritants, and carcinogens found in cigarette smoke, a known contributor to heart disease, as well as cancer.”
Its effects on the cardiovascular system remain under-researched due to federal restrictions, as highlighted by Harvard Health Publishing. Cannabis is legal in Canada at the federal level.
“As a result, everything we’re told about what marijuana does or doesn’t do should be viewed with a certain amount of caution,” Harvard Health Publishing advises. “This holds equally true for the risks as well as the benefits.”
Cannabis consumption has been linked to arrhythmia, fast heartbeat, potentially sudden death, and increased risk of heart attack, according to a 2017 article in the Journal of Thoracic Disease.
Other studies indicate links between marijuana and atrial fibrillation, the most common heart rhythm disorder, and suggest that smoking pot may raise the risk of stroke, according to Harvard Health.
Nearly half of U.S. states have legalized recreational marijuana, and the majority permit its use for medicinal purposes.
According to a November 2022 report from the Pew Research Center, nearly 90% of U.S. adults believe marijuana should be legal for either recreational and medical use, or just for medical use.
More than 2 million Americans with known cardiovascular disease are estimated to use marijuana, according to a 2020 article published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
