An analysis of 2.3 million hospitalizations among recreational marijuana users from 2010-2014 found mood disorders were the top psychiatric diagnosis, acute myocardial infarction the top cardiovascular diagnosis, and major cardiovascular events showed increasing trends over the period.
Read this if you are concerned about the cardiovascular risks associated with cannabis use or want to understand hospitalization patterns among marijuana users.
2.3 million hospitalizations analyzed; cardiovascular events increasing over 2010-2014
What the researchers found
Researchers analyzed the National Inpatient Sample, identifying over 2.3 million hospitalizations with a recorded history of recreational marijuana use from 2010 to 2014.
The most common psychiatric discharge diagnoses were mood disorders (20.6%), schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (10.6%), and substance or alcohol-related disorders (10.4%). Suicide and intentional self-injury (3.6%) was the leading cause of emergency admission.
Among non-psychiatric diagnoses, the most common were diabetes with chronic complications (2.2%), acute myocardial infarction (1.2%), nonspecific chest pain (1.1%), and congestive heart failure (1%).
The top independent predictors of in-hospital mortality were coagulopathy (OR 5.94), acute myocardial infarction (OR 4.59), and pulmonary circulation disorder (OR 2.95). Major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events showed increasing trends among users over the five-year period.
Why it matters
This is one of the largest analyses of hospitalization patterns among marijuana users. The finding that cardiovascular events are increasing among this population, and that cardiac events are strong predictors of in-hospital mortality, provides important safety signal data.
The numbers in context
2,317,343 weighted hospitalizations analyzed. Top psychiatric: mood disorders 20.6%, schizophrenia 10.6%. Suicide/self-injury 3.6% of emergency admissions. AMI 1.2% of non-psychiatric diagnoses. Mortality predictors: coagulopathy OR 5.94, AMI OR 4.59, pulmonary circulation disorder OR 2.95.
How the study worked
Retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for 2010-2014, identifying hospitalizations with ICD-9 codes for recreational marijuana use. Descriptive statistics with discharge weights for national estimates. Multivariate regression for mortality predictors.
What this study cannot tell us
The NIS captures associations, not causation. Marijuana use was identified by ICD-9 codes, which likely undercount actual users and may reflect documentation patterns rather than prevalence. The database cannot distinguish frequency, amount, or route of cannabis use. Confounders like tobacco use, obesity, and other substances were not fully separated from cannabis effects.
How to read the evidence
This large retrospective database analysis provides moderate evidence on hospitalization patterns and trends, though it cannot establish causation between marijuana use and specific conditions.
When this study was published
Published in 2018 using 2010-2014 data (ICD-9 era). Cannabis use patterns and legalization have changed substantially since this period.
The bigger picture
The increasing trend in cardiovascular events among marijuana users parallels both increasing cannabis use in the general population and increasing potency of available products. Whether this represents a causal effect of cannabis on cardiovascular health or reflects changing demographics of users and detection patterns requires further investigation.
Questions still open
- Are the increasing cardiovascular events causally related to cannabis use or to changing user demographics and higher-potency products? How do hospitalization patterns differ between medical and recreational cannabis users? Should cardiovascular screening be recommended for heavy cannabis users?
Common questions
Does marijuana cause heart attacks?
What was the most common reason marijuana users were hospitalized?
Read the original research
Primary Causes of Hospitalizations and Procedures, Predictors of In-hospital Mortality, and Trends in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events Among Recreational Marijuana Users: A Five-year Nationwide Inpatient Assessment in the United States.
Cureus, 10(8), e3195
Citation
Desai, Rupak; Shamim, Sofia; Patel, Krupa; Sadolikar, Ashish; Kaur, Vikram Preet; Bhivandkar, Siddhi; Patel, Smit; Savani, Sejal; Mansuri, Zeeshan; Mahuwala, Zabeen. (2018). Primary Causes of Hospitalizations and Procedures, Predictors of In-hospital Mortality, and Trends in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events Among Recreational Marijuana Users: A Five-year Nationwide Inpatient Assessment in the United States.. Cureus, 10(8), e3195. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.3195
Explore the wider topic
- Cannabis and Your Cardiovascular System: Heart Risk, Stroke, and What the Research Shows
- Cannabis and Your Heart: What the Cardiovascular Research Shows
- Coughing Up Black Stuff After Quitting Weed: What It Means
- Lung Recovery After Quitting Weed: The Complete Timeline
- Weed and Your Lungs: Recovery Timeline After Quitting
- Quitting Weed as a Woman: Hormones, Cycles, and Recovery
- Cannabis, Weight, and Diet: What Quitting Does to Your Appetite
- Sex After Quitting Weed: What Changes and What Doesn't
- Cannabis and Driving: DUI Laws, Impairment Science, and What You Need to Know
- Weed and Acne: Can Quitting Cannabis Clear Your Skin?
- Weed and Fertility: What Couples Should Know
- Weed and Your Gut: How Cannabis Affects Digestion
- Weed and Your Heart: Cardiovascular Effects and Recovery
- Weed, Testosterone, and Male Health: What the Research Actually Shows