Marijuana Use Increases Risks of Heart Failure, Stroke, Heart Attack: Study

The study followed 157,000 adults for 45 months. None of the participants had heart failure when they enrolled in the program.

Marijuana plants in a file image. Ulises Ruiz/AFP via Getty Images

As the use of marijuana is becoming more popular across the United States for both medical and recreational reasons, two new studies suggest regular users of the drug may have elevated risks of heart attacks, heart failure, or strokes compared to non-cannabis users.

According to the first study, which was presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia on Nov. 6, people who reported using marijuana daily were 34 percent more likely to develop heart failure compared to those who never use the drug.