Cannabis users face substantially higher risk of heart attack (2025)
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Two new studies link cannabis use to significantly higher heart attack risk.
A retrospective study of over 4.6 million people found cannabis users under 50 had over six times the risk of heart attack compared to non-users, even after accounting for tobacco use and other cardiovascular risk factors. A meta-analysis of 12 studies totaling over 75 million people found a 50% increased risk of heart attack among cannabis users. The researchers could not account for duration or amount of cannabis use, or use of other drugs. The studies were presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session and published in JACC Advances.
What commenters are saying
Commenters expressed skepticism about the findings, with many arguing that the studies failed to control for key confounding factors like tobacco use, other drugs, and the method of cannabis consumption (smoking vs. edibles). Some pointed to the difficulty of isolating cannabis's effects from associated lifestyle factors. One commenter noted that the retrospective study did exclude tobacco users, but others still questioned the lack of data on consumption method and dose. Several personal anecdotes of long-term heavy users with normal heart health were offered as counter-evidence.