Smoking weed daily could increase risk of heart disease by 34%, study finds

Using cannabis daily can raise a person's risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) by 34% compared with those who never used the drug, a new study found.

"A growing body of evidence suggests that cannabis is not entirely without harm and may actually cause cardiovascular disease," said lead study author Dr. Ishan Paranjpe, a resident physician at Stanford University, reports Insider.

The study — which has not yet been published -— will be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

Coronary artery disease is caused by plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Also called atherosclerosis, CAD is the most common type of heart disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cannabis is now legal either recreationally or medically in 38 states, but researchers are still learning about the potential consequences of long-term use.

The study pulled data on people participating in the All of Us Research Program. Administered by the National Institutes of Health, the program is designed to gather health information over time from 1 million or more people in the United States.

They found that daily cannabis users were 34% more likely to be diagnosed with coronary artery disease than those who had never used the drug.

People who used weed only once a month or less had no significant risk, the study found.

Smoking or vaping any substance, including cannabis, should be avoided due to the risk of harm to the heart, lungs and blood vessels, the American Heart Association warned in 2020.