Light Marijuana Use Linked to Heart Disease Risk: Study

New large-scale research presents some of the most damning evidence yet about marijuana’s impact on cardiovascular health.

Vuk Stajic/Shutterstock

Lighting up a joint once or more a week? That puff of marijuana could be hurting your heart.

A new study finds that even relatively infrequent cannabis use is linked to higher risks of having a heart attack or stroke. The large-scale research presents some evidence about marijuana’s impact on cardiovascular health.

Marijuana Smoking as Risky as Tobacco for Heart Health

Using cannabis is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, even among nontobacco smokers, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Previous research had linked marijuana use to heart disease risk, but those findings were often dismissed because many participants also smoked tobacco, which has long been linked to various cardiovascular issues.