Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is a plant used for its psychoactive properties and influences on perception, mood, and consciousness. People consume cannabis for both recreational and medicinal purposes, seeking relief from pain, anxiety, and other conditions. A recent study found that regular cannabis use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly among those who don’t use tobacco.

Researchers analyzed data collected from more than 434,000 adult participants who provided information about their cannabis use. They looked at how often participants used cannabis in the past month and whether they reported having coronary artery disease, a heart attack, or a stroke. They conducted a separate analysis for participants who didn’t use tobacco.

They found that daily cannabis users were about 16 percent more likely to have coronary heart disease, 25 percent more likely to experience a heart attack, and 42 percent more likely to have a stroke. When they combined all three heart-related issues, they found that daily cannabis users were 28 percent more likely to face any of them than non-users.

However, when they focused on participants who had never smoked tobacco and only used cannabis, the findings were even more striking. Daily cannabis users who had never used tobacco were 49 percent more likely to experience a heart attack and 116 percent more likely to have a stroke. When the researchers combined all three heart-related issues, they found that daily cannabis users who had never used tobacco were 77 percent more likely to face any of the cardiovascular conditions.

These findings suggest that daily cannabis use increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially among non-tobacco users, indicating that cannabis use alone could contribute to cardiovascular risk. Compounds in cannabis have profound effects on the human body and can even pass into breast milk, affecting breastfed infants. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.