Is Smoking Weed Bad for Your Heart?

You might use cannabis recreationally or you might use it to treat symptoms related to anxiety, depression, nausea, pain, insomnia or other health conditions. But just like any over-the-counter drug, weed doesn’t come without risks.

You don’t need to throw away your stash just yet, but if you’re a regular weed user, it’s important to understand how it can affect your health — specifically, your heart.

What the research says about the link between weed and heart conditions

A recent meta-analysis looked at over 3,000 research papers that explored the link between cannabis use and heart conditions.

The study found that cannabis smokers had a 30% higher chance of heart attack, a 20% higher risk of stroke and were two times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than people who don’t smoke weed.

However, Chris Buresh, MD, an emergency medicine doctor and pediatrician at Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital, says that while the study makes sense, there are a lot of questions left unanswered. For example, it doesn’t specify the concentration of THC in the products people were using.

“It’s hard to know how many of these studies included people who are using some of the newer, higher potency products,” says Buresh. “Like all research that really just summarizes other research, all of the conclusions depend on the quality of the articles that are being summarized.”

More research needs to be done on how weed affects the heart, but here’s what to keep in mind:

Weed affects your heart function

Cannabis temporarily causes higher blood pressure while you’re using it and probably contributes to high blood pressure if you use it chronically, Buresh says.

“It also contributes to blood clot formation, which can increase your heart attack risk,” says Buresh. “In the meta-analysis, it was a 20% increase compared to non-users.”

The risk is different when you smoke vs. use edibles

How edibles affect the heart isn’t answered in the meta-analysis, but Buresh says that other studies link the cardiovascular risk more to smoking cannabis than edibles.

“The risk is probably not zero with edibles, though,” says Buresh.

The amount you smoke increases your risk

Buresh says that the more weed you smoke, the higher your risk is for heart disease.

“People who only use a little or rarely use still probably increase their risk a small amount, but not as much as people with heavy regular use,” says Buresh.

Pre-existing conditions are a big factor

If you have other risk factors for heart disease, Buresh says smoking weed will increase your risk even further. Some of these conditions include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Tobacco use
• Stimulant use (like medications for ADHD)
• A family history of heart disease

How to know if your weed use is leading to cardiovascular problems

The damage from cardiovascular disease usually accumulates over years, so you might not know right away if you’re developing heart problems.

“The arteries harden slowly, and the heart usually becomes less efficient over years and decades, so it’s really hard for people to perceive,” says Buresh.

If you’re having chest pain, shortness of breath, jaw pain, arm pain or any symptoms usually associated with a heart attack when you use weed (or any time), it’s a red flag. Go to the emergency department immediately to get checked out.

“That could be a sign that there’s something dangerous happening to your heart,” says Buresh. “The kind of damage that puts you at risk for a sudden, severe heart problem happen insidiously, though.”

How to reduce your risk of heart disease when smoking weed

It’s important to make choices about your health based on what’s important to you now and in the future, Buresh says. He recommends these tips to make your weed use safer:

• Use less concentrated products (avoid using wax or dabs, or any products with a high THC percentage)
• Use less often, if possible
• Look for products with less THC and more CBD
• Try edibles — they can be safer than vaping
• If you don’t like edibles, vaping is safer than smoking
• Use products from a licensed dispensary so that you know what you’re putting in your body and the dose of THC you’re getting  
• Minimize other cardiovascular risk factors by addressing the ones that are treatable (such as diabetes, high cholesterol, stopping tobacco use if possible, and more)

Don’t feel shame for smoking, just know the risks

Weed has its uses, and you shouldn’t feel bad for reaching for your stash.

But not using cannabis is always a healthier choice, and doctors wouldn’t recommend anyone use THC.  

“There are a lot of reasons that people use cannabis,” says Buresh. “If the reason that you’re using is to treat other symptoms like nausea, anxiety, depression, insomnia or something else, it’s safest to get those things evaluated instead of trying to treat them on your own.”

You should also know (and honor) your limits — don’t smoke to excess and only use it in comfortable and familiar places. You also shouldn’t mix weed with other substances, like alcohol.  

And if you have a teenager who is using weed, the risks could be more significant.

“While it’s legal to use at age 21, the brain is still really changing and developing until age 25,” says Buresh. “Research suggests that use earlier in life has bigger and more lasting impacts than starting later.”

Finally, if you’re smoking weed, don’t keep it from your doctor. Just like you tell your doctors how much alcohol you drink in any given week, there’s no shame in letting them know how much cannabis you’re using, regardless of your risk for heart disease.

And remember to take note of how your body feels when you smoke — your lighter should be the only thing sparking up and burning, not your heart.