Heart Attacks, Strokes and Arrhythmias
- The National Academy of Sciences issued a report on the “Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids.” The summary and Chapter 6 clearly suggested evidence that marijuana may trigger a heart attack, but the report was vague on the mechanism.
- Since 2017, the evidence that cannabis can trigger heart attacks has increased substantially. A 2021 report by the American College of Cardiology said, “Current evidence suggests an association of marijuana use with these major cardiovascular events, including stroke, arrhythmias, and vasculopathies.”
- The report also suggested that the evidence is on younger marijuana users and people without comorbidities such as high blood pressure or diabetes. (https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2021/06/10/03/08/cardiovascular-risk-of-marijuana)
- Cardiac death rates have gone up since marijuana legalization and are even higher in states with lenient marijuana laws. Heart attacks appear in younger ages. The average time of onset of acute heart attack symptoms was five hours after last marijuana use in young, predominantly male cannabis users with a mean age 28 years. (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.15863?af=R)
- Another study released in November 2021, suggested a 47-52% increased likelihood of arrhythmia hospitalizations in young adults who use marijuana. This study was controlled for confounding factors, such as use of tobacco or other substances. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34432919/)