A study found that smoking marijuana at least once a month is linked to an elevated risk of heart attack. Additional studies found that marijuana use was linked not only to a greater risk of heart attack but also heart failure, and that those using medical marijuana for chronic pain had a 64% increase in their risk of abnormal heart rhythms, or atrial fibrillation, which makes you more at risk for a stroke. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, activates the sympathetic nervous system, a network of nerves responsible for the body’s “fight or flight” response. This response can trigger an increased heart rate and blood pressure, both of which put more strain on the heart. Learn more about marijuana and your heart attack risk.
