Thirty years ago, California legalized medical marijuana, sparking a national revolution.
Today, more than 44 million Americans turn to cannabis as a natural way to relax or treat nausea and pain.
But new research reveals that this popular pastime may have a hidden cost, increasing the risk of cardiovascular problems as consumption continues to sweep the country.
One study shows that even occasional cannabis use, including marijuana, was associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an even stronger relationship with stroke.
This is an important finding as cannabis use has reached historic highs in the United States, with as many as one in four adults using it in the past year.
“As cannabis use becomes more common, it is increasingly important that people and their healthcare professionals include it in conversations about cardiovascular health, just as they discuss tobacco, alcohol and other commonly used substances,” said study author and cardiac surgeon Aabha Divya.
Cannabis and heart risks
Researchers gained access to an incredible amount of data from nearly half a million Americans through the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
From 2020 to 2024, people across the country were surveyed by phone how often they used cannabis – including marijuana – by smoking, vaping and consuming edibles in the past month.
Cannabis is the plant itself, while marijuana specifically refers to parts of the plant that contain levels of psychoactive THC. Products like non-psychoactive CBD and hemp also come from cannabis, but not marijuana.
Participants were also asked if they had been diagnosed with a heart attack, heart disease, heart-related chest pain, or stroke.
Researchers found that those who used cannabis occasionally (one to five days in the past month) were 23% more likely to report a history of cardiovascular disease than those who did not use cannabis at all.
Interestingly, these cardiovascular disease risks did not increase with increased marijuana use. They also found no significant link between frequency of cannabis use and heart attacks.
“We were surprised to find that the link between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease was not simple,” Divya said.
“We expected that the risks of heart disease would gradually increase as people used cannabis more often, but that was not the case. Both the low-use and high-use groups had higher risks of developing heart disease.”
Cannabis and stroke
Cardiovascular disease is a generic term for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. In this group, stroke had the strongest association with cannabis use.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted or blocked, often because of a buildup of fatty plaque in the blood, or if a blood vessel leaks or ruptures.
Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States.
Researchers found that low-frequency use (one to five days of use in the past month) was associated with a 40% higher risk of stroke. Heavy use (16 on all days in the past month) was associated with a 25% higher risk of stroke.
Cannabis is not an “innocent bystander”
These associations between cannabis use and cardiovascular risk were observed even after adjusting for risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, physical inactivity, education level, and income.
“Many patients who use cannabis may also smoke tobacco…Cannabis has historically been viewed as an innocent bystander; however, this is not the case,” said Robert L. Page II, chair of the American Heart Association’s 2020 Cannabis Scientific Statement writing group.
“Overall, cannabis is beginning to emerge as a major contributor to premature heart disease in young and elderly people, which can lead to serious cardiovascular events,” he said.
However, the study does not show that cannabis consumption causes cardiovascular problems. It only measured associations at a single time point and relied on self-reported information on cannabis use and heart disease diagnoses.
The authors also note that they do not have information on the potency of the cannabis consumed by the participants.
Gn Health
