With growing marijuana use across the country, studies have looked at the link between cannabis use and cardiovascular (CDV) problems — but new research is showing the magnitude of such risk.

In the study, published Tuesday in the journal ‘Heart,’ researchers found cannabis use is linked to a doubled risk of dying from CDV disease, a 29 per cent higher risk for acute coronary syndrome and 20 per cent higher risk for stroke.

The authors analysed data from 24 studies published from 2016 to 2023, reported the ‘cnn.com’. “Our results provide a fully comprehensive report of the recent situation towards the CDV health of cannabis users,” the authors wrote, but added there were some study limitations, including potential imprecise dosage measurements.

With recreational marijuana legal in 24 states, the US Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to reclassify the drug to a less dangerous category under the Controlled Substances Act.

Daily marijuana users now outnumber daily drinkers for the first time ever, according to a Carnegie Mellon University report last year. The preference shift is largely being driven by young people.

For example, 69 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 prefer marijuana to alcohol, according to a 2022 survey by New Frontier Data, a cannabis research firm.