Study Finds Heavy Marijuana Users Face 60% Higher Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

New research out of Canada shows heavy marijuana users face a 60% higher risk of first-time heart attack, stroke, or other major cardiovascular problem.

The study published last week in the journal Addiction used five Canadian health databases to build a group of nearly 60,000 participants — half of whom suffered from cannabis use disorder, and half of whom did not.

The study found people with cannabis use disorder — even people with few other health complications — faced significantly higher risks of suffering a first-time stroke, heart attack, or other major cardiovascular event.

The study adds to a growing body of research about the dangers of marijuana.

Marijuana use is scientifically linked to heart diseases, according to the American Heart Association.

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found adults under age 45 who frequently use marijuana are roughly twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack as adults who do not use marijuana.

Smoking marijuana on a regular basis is associated with chronic cough and phlegm production. The American Lung Association writes simply that, “Smoking marijuana clearly damages the human lung.”

An NIH study published this year found young men who use marijuana heavily are at an increased risk of developing schizophrenia.

The list goes on and one.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.