Heavy Pot Users Face High Risk of Developing Heart Disease, Study Finds

Adults with cannabis use disorder appear to have a much higher risk of developing heart disease, a new study finds. Cannabis, or marijuana use disorder, occurs when a person is unable to stop using the drug even though it leads to health and social problems.

The study included nearly 60,000 Canadian adults with no history of heart events at the start. About half of them had been diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. After 8 years of monitoring, people with the disorder were nearly 60% more likely to experience a first heart attack, stroke, or another major cardiovascular event.

The risk was highest among problematic users who had no co-occurring medical illness, no prescriptions, and had not used healthcare services in the prior six months. The researchers say this may be because participants who considered themselves healthy didn't notice the warning signs of an imminent attack.

The lead author says that while the study doesn't prove cannabis use disorder causes heart disease events, "we can go so far as to say that Canadians with cannabis use disorder appear to have a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease than people without the disorder".