A large new study tracking nearly 450,000 American adults has found that cannabis use, even occasional use, is associated with a higher reported risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. The research is set to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago, held Nov. 6–9.
Researchers drew on survey data collected between 2020 and 2024 through the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. People who said they used cannabis one to five days a month had 23% higher odds of reporting a history of cardiovascular disease than non-users. Those using it 16 to 30 days a month had 21% higher odds.
The stroke numbers were more striking, and somewhat counterintuitive. Low-frequency users had 40% higher odds of reporting a past stroke, while heavy users had 25% higher odds — meaning the lightest users showed the largest increase.
“That isn’t what we’d necessarily expect from a straightforward dose-response relationship, where greater exposure is associated with greater risk. But we shouldn’t interpret this as evidence that heavier use is safer,” said Dr. Kristen “Nicke” Worth, an Ohio-based physician and medical adviser at NuggMD, a telehealth platform for medical marijuana evaluations, who was not involved in the study.
The study found no statistically significant link between cannabis use and heart attacks. Notably, the method of consumption — smoking, vaping or edibles — did not change the results.
Researchers Say They Expected a Different Pattern
“We were surprised to find that the link between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease was not straightforward,” said lead author Dr. Aabha Divya, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine, in an AHA press release. “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.”
The findings land at a moment when cannabis use is rising sharply nationwide. The research team found about one in six adults reported past-month cannabis use in 2024, up from one in 10 in 2020 — a 51% jump in four years.
Dr. Robert L. Page II, a professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of Colorado and an American Heart Association volunteer expert not involved in the study, said the results undercut a long-held assumption.
“In patients who use both, cannabis has always been considered an innocent bystander; however, this is not the case,” Page said in a press release. “Overall, 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.”
Page said physicians should start asking patients about marijuana use with the same routine attention given to tobacco and alcohol.
Limitations Worth Knowing
The researchers were clear about the study’s limits. Because it was observational and captured data from a single point in time, it can show a statistical association but cannot prove cannabis causes stroke or heart disease. The data came from telephone surveys, which leaves room for recall errors about diagnoses and drug use, and researchers did not track THC potency, product strength or total amounts consumed. The findings are preliminary and have not yet gone through full peer review.
Worth cautioned against overreacting to a single unreviewed study. “For patients, I wouldn’t recommend making abrupt treatment decisions based on one preliminary study, but I wouldn’t dismiss these findings,” she said. “People should not discontinue prescribed cardiovascular medications because of this report.”
She added that anyone using cannabis, whether medically or recreationally, should talk with their doctor about their cardiovascular history, risk factors, current medications and alternatives.
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