Study of U.S. hospital figures links pot use with increased risk of stroke

New research is being presented at a conference in Montreal today linking recreational cannabis use with an increased risk of stroke.

The study, being outlined at the World Stroke Congress, looked at five years of hospital statistics from the United States.

Researchers found the incidence of stroke rose steadily among marijuana users, even though the overall rate of stroke remained constant over the same period.

The study examined 2.3 million hospitalizations between 2010 and 2014 among people who used cannabis recreationally.

It found that 1.4 per cent of those, or about 32,000, had a stroke during that same period.

The rate of stroke for marijuana users increased over the period, from 1.3 per cent to 1.5 per cent, while the prevalence of stroke among patients nationwide was stable.

The researchers note in the abstract to their study that cannabis "has a potential link to stroke owing to cerebrovascular effects of cannabinoids."

They say their findings make a case for "further prospective studies to evaluate the marijuana-stroke association amidst legalization of recreational use."