A new study has found an alarming link between marijuana use and strokes and cardiovascular issues among both non-tobacco users and smokers.
The study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that people who use cannabis on a daily basis are 25 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than people who do not.
Additionally, the study found that people who use cannabis daily are 42 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who abstain from it.
The peer-reviewed study poured over data from more than 430,000 U.S. adults in 27 American states and two territories between 2016 and 2020.
Four percent of those studied said they either smoked, vaped or consumed marijuana orally on a daily basis. Another 7 percent said they used cannabis only sometimes, while 90 percent reported no cannabis use.
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“Cannabis has strong, statistically significant associations with adverse cardiovascular outcomes independent of tobacco use and controlling for a range of demographic factors and outcomes,” the study concluded.
“It remains positively associated with cardiovascular disease among the general population, and men [55 and younger] and [women 65 and younger], those who have never use tobacco cigarettes, and those who have never used tobacco cigarettes or e‐cigarettes.”
Lead study author Abra Jeffers, a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said the research was revealing.
“Despite common use, little is known about the risks of cannabis use and, in particular, the cardiovascular disease risks,” Jeffers said in a statement. “The perceptions of the harmfulness of smoking cannabis are decreasing, and people have not considered cannabis use dangerous to their health.
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“However, previous research suggested that cannabis could be associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, smoking cannabis — the predominant method of use — may pose additional risks because particulate matter is inhaled.”
The study concluded that people who have some pre-existing heart conditions should be warned about using cannabis by a doctor before they are told to use it.
It also suggested those who write laws that make the use of cannabis legal should be aware of its potential dangers.
“These data suggest that cannabis use may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may be a risk factor for premature cardiovascular disease,” the study found.
“Patients and policymakers need to be informed of these potential risks, especially given the declining perception of risk associated with cannabis use,” it said.
The study went beyond simply evaluating people who use cannabis regularly and those who do not.
JAHA reported it examined whether they concurrently used tobacco, suffered from diabetes, regularly consumed alcohol and were physically active.
No matter the personal health habits of those who used cannabis regularly and who participated in the study, the data found their risk for heart issues and stroke was notably higher when cannabis was part of their regular activity.
The study ultimately concluded that people who seek to use cannabis should be “screened for cannabis use” and “advised to avoid smoking cannabis to reduce their risk of premature cardiovascular disease and cardiac events.”
Currently, the use of tetrahydrocannabinol products is outlawed only in the states of Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina and Wyoming.
The remaining 46 states have laws for the medical use of cannabis, allow the plant to be bought and sold in cannabidiol or have decriminalized it.
