Cannabis ‘raises heart attack risk’

SMOKING cannabis dramatically increases a young person’s risk of suffering a heart attack, according to a major new study.

People under the age of 50 who use the drug are more likely to have a cardiac event compared to those who avoid it, researchers found. Until now, most worries over the longterm effects of cannabis have centred on its association with schizophrenia.

But this study, due to be presented today at a conference in Washington DC, fuels concerns it causes physical damage too.

The research team was based in Ohio’s Case Western Reserve University.