Cannabis users are up to a THIRD more likely to develop heart disease, major study warns

People who use cannabis are up to a third more likely to suffer a heart attack, a major study suggests.

The research is another blow to the idea that marijuana is safe because it is ‘natural’ — a common claim made by users of the drug.

Experts from Stanford University looked at the rates of coronary artery disease (CAD) and cannabis use among 175,000 people across the US.

The more someone used cannabis, the more likely they were to be diagnosed with the condition, with daily users at a 34 percent greater risk than non-users.

Dr Ishan Paranjpe, a physician at Stanford and the study’s lead author, said: ‘In terms of the public health message, it shows that there are probably certain harms of cannabis use that weren’t recognized before, and people should take that into account.’

People who use cannabis are up to a third more likely to suffer a heart attack, a major study suggests  

The significant link remained regardless of whether users smoked tobacco, drank alcohol, had major cardiovascular risk factors, and no matter their age and sex. 

Whether users took cannabis by smoking the drug, eating edibles, or other methods, also made no difference.

The study is one of the largest to date looking at the toll of the drug on the heart, according to the researchers.

Previous studies have reported somewhat mixed findings on the relationship between cannabis and heart disease. 

CAD is the most common form of cardiovascular disease which can lead to heart failure. It killed more than 382,000 Americans in 2020. And about 20.1 million Americans 20 and up have CAD, according to federal data. 

It is typically caused by a buildup of cholesterol inside the lining of the coronary arteries forming plaque that narrows the blood vessels, blocking the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.