You may want to consult with your doctor before consuming edibles. A recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that cannabis could contribute to negative cardiac health outcomes. Published in May 2025, the study pointed out that arterial flow-mediated dilation and nitric oxide levels were impacted by regular THC usage.
It found that there were significant risk factors associated with both the smoking of marijuana and the ingestion of marijuana.
Cannabis Use Is On The Rise
“Over the past several decades, more than half of all U.S. states have legalized cannabis for adult and/or medical use, but it remains illegal at the federal level,” according to the National Academy of Sciences. The legalization of marijuana has increased its on-the-record usage. What used to be contained in secret parking lot handoffs is now a more straightforward transaction. People can stop off at the corner and pick up some sativa pre-rolls or a package of indica gummies on their way home from work. This has led to increased cannabis consumption. A 2022 study found that daily marijuana usage was even outpacing routine alcohol consumption.
Heart health is a significant concern for the Black community. Black people have disproportionate rates of adverse heart health outcomes, making even slight additional risk factors extremely dangerous.
Cannabis Today Is Different Than Before
If you choose to indulge and feel a tsunami of high where you used to feel a drizzle of calm, there’s a reason for that. Cannabis is far stronger than it was. Users’ tastes have evolved, and growers are meeting their desires. Plants have been modified for maximum effect as a result. The New York Times reports that “with more people consuming more potent cannabis more often, a growing number, mostly chronic users, are enduring serious health consequences.”
There are other risks associated with cannabis in addition to vascular threats. “The heavy and prolonged use of cannabis has been linked to several adverse health effects such as memory impairment, issues with executive functioning, and increased risk for developing a mental illness,” according to a 2022 article in Current Addiction Reports.
Neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd told the Times, “There’s a difference in legalizing the original cannabis on the planet and the products that exist today.” The Academy advocated for a public health campaign to advise vulnerable publics about the dangers associated with marijuana.
Cannabis Usage Should Be Discussed With Your Doctor
Cannabis has long been thought of as a casual way to relax. It treats chronic pain, insomnia, and social anxiety disorder.
But it might be smart to check with your doctor before adding it to your dopamine menu.
It is still considered a drug. It should be consumed mindfully. “It’s not as risk-free as we think, and it should be part of your discussion with a healthcare provider,” advised Dr. Hakeem Ayinde, MD, MS, FHRS, Internal Medicine Section Chair of the National Medical Association. Ayinde is board-certified in cardiovascular disease.
“If you think about this as a drug, it has its risks, as we have seen, and it may have some benefits as we’re aware,” he told Black Health Matters. “You may get immediate stress relief, but then you’re exchanging one problem for a way bigger problem,” he added.
Ayinde witnessed an instance of myocardial infarction that puzzled him during his residency. Cannabis use was involved. “He didn’t have any of the typical risk factors,” said Ayinde.
“The only thing I saw that stood out was that he smoked cannabis.”
He suspected it was a factor. But the available research was limited at the time. “I couldn’t find very strong evidence at that time,” he explained. The research gaps have since been filled, and Ayinde’s suspicions have been confirmed.
Cannabis Consumption Could Be An Invisible Risk Factor
A 2023 study from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology connected frequent cannabis use with an increased risk for coronary artery disease.
The Journal of the American Heart Association previously explored the association of cannabis use with cardiovascular outcomes among adults in the United States. It found that cannabis use raised the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. Its findings were consistent with other studies that reported that a higher rate of usage resulted in increased risks, and “There were significant differences in the distribution of cardiovascular events between respondents reporting daily, nondaily, and nonuse of cannabis, with the lowest point estimates among the nondaily users.”
The study argued that patients should be screened for cannabis use.
Resources
Journal of the American Medical Association Cardiology: Association of Endothelial Dysfunction With Chronic Marijuana Smoking and THC-Edible Use
National Academies of Sciences: To Protect Public Health, Federal Government Should Provide Guidance to States that Have Legalized Marijuana, Close Hemp Regulatory Loopholes, Create Public Health Campaign
pbsorg: Daily marijuana use is now more common than daily alcohol use in the U.S., new study finds
The New York Times: As America’s Marijuana Use Grows, So Do the Harms
Current Addiction Reports: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder: Implications for Researchers.
Dysmenorrhoea: Can Medicinal Cannabis Bring New Hope for a Collective Group of Women Suffering in Pain, Globally?
Medicinal cannabis for the treatment of anxiety disorders
Journal of the American College of Cardiology Association of Cannabis Use Disorder With Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
Journal of the American Heart Association: Association of Cannabis Use With Cardiovascular Outcomes Among US Adults
