Cannabis has been linked to at least 13 cardiovascular deaths and dozens of serious emergencies

At least 35 people presented with significant cardiovascular emergencies after recently smoking cannabis, and at least 13 deaths from cardiovascular mechanisms have been reported. Multiple cases of stroke and vascular arteritis (sometimes requiring limb amputation) have also been documented.

Review of published case reports of hospital admissions for cardiovascular events associated with cannabis use, epidemiological studies, and case reports of sudden death attributed to cannabis, spanning the forensic and clinical literature.

Cannabis is widely perceived as physically safe, but these documented cardiovascular deaths and emergencies challenge that assumption. The true incidence is likely higher than reported, given that cannabis is rarely considered as a contributing factor in sudden death investigations.

With cannabis legalization expanding and use increasing, even a rare cardiovascular risk becomes significant at population scale. The forensic community has historically underconsidered cannabis in sudden death investigations, meaning the evidence base may be systematically underestimating the risk.

Based on case reports, which are the weakest form of evidence for establishing causation. Positive THC levels after death don't prove causation. Many cases involved cofactors like tobacco or other substances. Prevalence-based risk estimation is not possible from case reports alone.