Should Cannabis Users Worry About Heart Disease?

Dear Stoner: I’ve been a regular nighttime weed smoker for about fifteen years. Should I really be worried about these recent reports of marijuana smoking and heart disease?
Malt Asanti

Dear Malt Asanti: Smoking anything on a consistent basis is an inherent health risk, whether it’s your heart, lungs, throat and so on. Let’s get that out there first. The extent or specification of those risks varies by the individual, but information recently presented at an American Heart Association event highlighted that regularly smoking cannabis creates a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, with daily cannabis smokers 34 percent more likely to develop heart failure than non-smokers.

Cannabis advocates have been quick to cite studies and research showing that smoking weed isn’t as harmful as other forms of smoke or doesn’t carry that high a risk for regular users. Take that for what you will, but the bottom line is that smoking is bad, ‘mmkay? It doesn’t mean medical marijuana’s benefits can’t outweigh those risks or that tobacco is safer. It’s just a fact of life. Maybe both of us should consider edibles more often.

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