Using marijuana as little as once per month is associated with a higher risk of both heart attack and stroke, according to a large study published Wednesday by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital. The risks rose sharply the more frequently marijuana was used.
The paper, which was published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting marijuana may be harmful to the cardiovascular system.
Scientists analyzed data on nearly 435,000 patients, ages 18 to -74, to see if there was a link between marijuana use and a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, or a heart attack. The data came from a behavioral risk factor survey collected between 2016 and 2020 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Compared with people who had never used marijuana, daily cannabis users had 25% higher likelihood of a heart attack and 42% higher risk of stroke. People who used marijuana just once a week had a 3% increased likelihood of a heart attack and 5% higher risk of a stroke during the study time frame.
This study is among the largest to show a connection between marijuana use and cardiovascular health in people who don’t also smoke tobacco, said lead researcher Abra Jeffers, a data scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Nearly 75% of people in the study reported smoking as the most common way they got high. They also consumed edibles and vaped, although the study did not specifically look at the risks of smoking marijuana compared to edibles.
It’s unclear from this paper whether marijuana is directly causing heart attacks and strokes, or if people who are already at risk are more likely to use it.
Historically, studies looking at marijuana and heart problems have been dismissed by some because participants often use both tobacco and marijuana products, making it hard to determine which substance is really to blame, said Jeffers.
Robert Page, a clinical pharmacist who specializes in heart…
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