Cannabis use may increase risk of CVD, stroke—even for those who only occasionally partake
Cannabis use is associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to new data being presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago.
Researchers tracked data from more than 440,000 American adults who responded to telephone interview questions about cannabis use. These interviews were conducted as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Overall, the group found that using cannabis one to five days per month was linked to a 23% higher odds of reporting a history of CVD. These low-frequency users also had a 40% higher odds of experiencing a stroke. Heavy cannabis users, meanwhile, were associated with a 23% higher odds of reporting a history of CVD and a 25% higher odds of experiencing a stroke.
When it came to heart attack risk, on the other hand, the study’s authors did not identify any comparable trends.
“We were surprised to find that the link between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease was not straightforward,” study co-author Aabha Divya, MBBS, MCh, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the Tulane University School of Medicine, said in a statement ahead of the conference. “We expected that the chances of heart disease would gradually rise as people used cannabis more often, but that wasn’t the case. Both low-use and heavy-use groups had higher odds of developing heart disease.
“Cannabis is beginning to emerge as a major contributor to premature heart disease in young and older adults, which can lead to serious cardiovascular events,” Robert L. Page II, PharmD, MSPH, a professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, added in the same statement. “To this end, clinicians should be addressing cannabis use with their patients as they would tobacco use when considering the risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Page has written at length about this topic in the past; he was not involved in this specific analysis.
The American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 is scheduled for Nov. 6-9 in Chicago. Click here for additional details.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.