A study warns how cannabis use can harm our hearts.

Regular cannabis use carries a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. This is confirmed by a study published in the journal Heart , which shows that this risk is particularly high in the case of a stroke or acute coronary syndrome, i.e., a sudden blockage of blood flow to the heart.

For these reasons, the report calls for treating the drug in the same way as tobacco, that is, not criminalizing it , but actively discouraging it and protecting bystanders from passive inhalation of vapor.

Cannabis and cannabinoid use has skyrocketed in the last decade, researchers note. In Spain, according to data from the ESTUDES study, an estimated 15% of the population aged 15 to 64 and 11% of adolescents (aged 14-18) believe that cannabis use has no health consequences. This low perception of risk, combined with unreliable sources of information or information directly from pro-cannabis movements with commercial interests, makes it difficult for the population to access credible health messages based on scientific evidence.

Furthermore, the expansion of medicinal marijuana use has likely changed perceptions of the drug's risk and contributed to its growing popularity, they suggest.

The report reviewed research databases for large observational studies, published between January 2016 and December 2023, that explored cannabis use and its relationship to serious cardiovascular events: death from cardiovascular disease and non-fatal acute coronary syndrome, which includes heart attack and stroke.

Thus, the authors reviewed 3,012 articles, 24 of which involved around 200 million people .

The study participants were mostly between the ages of 19 and 59. And in those studies where gender was recorded, cannabis users tended to be predominantly male and younger than non-users.

The analysis revealed increased risks from cannabis use : a 29% higher risk of acute coronary syndrome; a 20% higher risk of stroke; and a doubled risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

An editorial linked to the report emphasizes that further research is needed to clarify whether cardiovascular risks are limited to inhaled products or extend to other forms of cannabis exposure.