A recently published meta-analysis and systematic review, which are considered the pinnacle of medical research, confirm excess risks of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death among cannabis users.

Many cannabis users like to claim that there is no risk associated with its consumption. However, this research joins a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that there are significant medical risks associated with cannabis use.

This post will examine the new study and attempt to explain its implications for heart health to individuals who consume cannabis.

Cannabis and heart disease paper

In a meta-analysis and systematic review published on 17 June 2025 in the medical journal Heart, Emilie Jouanjus, PharmD, PhD, of the University of Toulouse in France, and colleagues examined excess cardiovascular risks from 24 pharmacoepidemiological studies published from 2016 through 2023.

Previous studies reported on potential cannabis-related cardiovascular outcomes. However, knowledge gaps remained on the magnitude of the associated risk for the people who use cannabis, particularly in the actual context of profound changes in use prevalence and characteristics of users.

Here are the key results:

• Cannabis users had a 29% higher risk of acute coronary syndrome, including heart attack and unstable angina, compared to non-users.
• Cannabis users had a 20% higher risk of stroke.
• Cannabis users had a 210% higher risk of cardiovascular death.
• The study did not account for the mode of administration, product potency, or intensity of use of cannabis.

The researchers concluded:

This systematic review and meta-analysis uses an original approach centred on real-world data. The findings reveal positive associations between cannabis use and MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events). These findings should encourage investigating cannabis use in all patients presenting with serious cardiovascular disorders.

Summary

In an accompanying editorial, also published in Heart, public health advocates Stanton Glantz, PhD, and Lynn Silver, MD, MPH, both of the University of California, San Francisco, wrote:

Cannabis needs to be incorporated into the framework for prevention of clinical cardiovascular disease. So too must cardiovascular disease prevention be incorporated into the regulation of cannabis markets. Effective product warnings and education on risks must be developed, required and implemented. Cardiovascular and other health risks must be considered in the regulation of allowable product and marketing design as the evidence base grows. Today that regulation is focused on establishing the legal market with woeful neglect of minimising health risks. Specifically, cannabis should be treated like tobacco: not criminalised but discouraged, with protection of bystanders from secondhand exposure.

The research is very clear — consuming cannabis is linked to a considerable risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks, stroke, and death. There is a myth that cannabis is harmless, which has made it easier to legalize the product.

However, the risks may not be any different than tobacco, and legislation and regulation should treat cannabis like we do tobacco. Smoking of either should be strongly discouraged.

At this time, we don’t know if edible versions of cannabis cause the same increase in cardiovascular risk — it may just be smoking, but we don’t have data as of this time.

The rush to legalize marijuana overlooked numerous health risks that were potentially linked to its use. Ironically, the backers of cannabis relied on dubious claims, like marijuana prevents cancer, to push legalization.

The researchers (and I) are not advocating for the re-criminalization of the drug. But it is clear that health warnings, similar to what is found on tobacco products, should be added to all packaging.

Cannabis use is a serious public health issue, and we have powerful scientific data that shows it is linked to heart disease. We need to make sure this message gets out to the world.

Citations

• Glantz S, Silver L. It is time to treat cannabis as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Heart. 2025 Jun 17:heartjnl-2025-326169. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2025-326169. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40527599.
• Jouanjus E, Raymond V, Lapeyre-Mestre M, Wolff V. What is the Current Knowledge About the Cardiovascular Risk for Users of Cannabis-Based Products? A Systematic Review. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2017 Jun;19(6):26. doi: 10.1007/s11883-017-0663-0. PMID: 28432636.
• Storck W, Elbaz M, Vindis C, Déguilhem A, Lapeyre-Mestre M, Jouanjus E. Cardiovascular risk associated with the use of cannabis and cannabinoids: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Heart. 2025 Jun 17:heartjnl-2024-325429. doi: 10.1136/heartjnl-2024-325429. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40527600.

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