Does cannabis use cause heart disease? The evidence is mixed, but cardiologists urge caution

Data on the potential relationship between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain mixed. Some studies have linked cannabis to an increased risk of heart attack and ischemic stroke, for example, but the current evidence is far from consistent. 

With cannabis legalization skyrocketing in the United States, the team behind a new analysis in Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine hoped to explore the latest evidence and provide a fresh look at this important topic.[1]

“Compared with respiratory or psychiatric outcomes, the cardiovascular consequences of cannabis remain poorly established,” wrote first author Ahmed K. Mahmoud, MD, a cardiovascular health researcher with Mayo Clinic, and colleagues. “This highlights the urgent need for prospective studies and clinical trials to more clearly define cardiovascular risk.”

Mahmoud and his two co-authors, a pair of Mayo Clinic cardiologists, examined data from 2014 to 2025. The group provided an in-depth look at where things stand today and then looked ahead to the future. 

What current evidence tells us about cannabis and cardiovascular disease

“Although cannabinoids are increasingly investigated for therapeutic potential, particularly in chronic pain management, opioid-sparing strategies, and through emerging evidence of anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabis has long been surrounded by clinical concerns,” the authors wrote. “Observational data and case reports have raised the possibility of associations with myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmias, and thromboembolism, in addition to adverse effects on general health such as obesity, hypertension and psychiatric disorders. However, current evidence on cardiovascular risk remains inconsistent.”

The group emphasized that cannabis is consumed in a variety of ways now, making it especially challenging to study its impact on an individual’s cardiovascular health. Reviewing recent researcher, Mahmoud et al. noted that cannabis has previously been associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, arrhythmias, heart failure and other cardiovascular conditions. 

For every study that identifies a significant relationship between cannabis and a CVD, however, there seems to be another study in which the results are less clear. 

Still, as time goes on, more and more studies are finding that cannabis use is harmful for a person’s cardiovascular health. Mahmoud et al. wrote that there is a “growing signal for cardiovascular risk” in the most recent research, for example, pointing to multiple studies that make that connection. 

When it comes to heart rhythm issues, the authors pointed to several studies that suggest there is a definite relationship between cannabis use and atrial arrhythmias. One study from 2025, for instance, identified atrial arrhythmias in 12.5% of cannabis users and 2.7% of nonusers.[2] That is just one of the many studies the groups pointed to in their analysis.