Cannabis has gone from taboo to trendy—sold in sleek dispensaries, baked into brownies, and hailed as a “natural” cure for everything from stress to sleepless nights. But behind the haze of hype, a massive new study is dropping a truth bomb: cannabis may be more dangerous for your heart than cocaine.
Researchers reviewed data from over 432 million people and uncovered a disturbing trend—cannabis users are at significantly greater risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even dying from heart disease. Cannabis was a stronger predictor of heart attack than cocaine in a French hospital study.
Today’s cannabis is not your uncle’s mellow joint. It’s hyper-potent, loaded with THC, and often consumed through vapes, edibles, and concentrates that flood the body with psychoactive compounds. According to the analysis, regular users face a 29% higher risk of heart attack, a 20% higher risk of stroke, and double the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Young users are especially vulnerable. One U.S. database found cannabis users aged 25 to 34 had a notably higher risk of stroke. Another study in Australia showed weekly users were nearly five times more likely to suffer a stroke.
Even though cannabis has documented medical benefits—like easing chemotherapy nausea or helping with epilepsy—the public has largely ignored its dark side. Experts now say it’s time to treat cannabis like tobacco: not criminalized, but warned against.
With today’s cannabis stronger than ever, doctors are urging heart screenings and secondhand protections. It’s not about panic—it’s about being honest with the data. Cannabis might be marketed as chill, but your heart? It might not be so relaxed.
