In recent decades, cannabis has become less taboo and more widely used. It’s legal in 41 states for medical use and 24 for recreational purposes. While cannabis used to be viewed as an almost universally scorned illegal drug, now more than 44 million Americans use cannabis to relax or as treatment for nausea or pain.
New research has found that cannabis may not be as riskless as thought. It could raise the risk of heart problems. Even occasional cannabis users have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke. This research is essential as one in four adults has used cannabis in the last 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 heart surgeon Dr. Aabha Divya.
Via phone surveys, they asked people if they had used cannabis and how often in the last month. They tracked edibles, smoking and vaping. They also asked the people about their heart health. Both occasional users (one to five days of use in a month) and heavy users (16 or more days of use in a month) had higher heart health risks. Interestingly, occasional users had higher risks than heavy users.
Cannabis was linked to a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Occasional users were 23 percent more likely to develop the disease and heavy users were 21 percent more likely. This risk of stroke was even more heightened. Occasional users were 40 percent more likely to have a stroke and heavy users were 25 percent more likely.
“We were surprised to find that the link between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease was not straightforward,” said Dr. Divya. “We expected that the chances of heart disease would gradually rise as people used cannabis more often, but that wasn’t the case. Both low-use and heavy-use groups had higher odds of developing heart disease.”
It’s unclear if the type of cannabis matters. In this study, it didn’t appear to make a difference if people were smoking or using edibles. Either way, you can talk to your doctor about cannabis use. Even if you live in an area where cannabis isn’t legal, you can get medical advice; it would be covered by HIPAA. It’s important for your doctor to know about your health care risks.
