Marijuana Use Among Young Adults (18–44 Years of Age) and Risk of Stroke

Abstract

Background and Purpose— Amidst legalization of therapeutic and recreational use of marijuana/cannabis in the United States, cerebrovascular effects of marijuana use remain largely unknown, especially among young adults. We aimed to examine the association between marijuana use (18–44 years) among young adults and stroke events. Methods— The study analyzed pooled data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2016–2017)—a nationally representative cross-sectional survey collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weighted logistic regression models were used to examine an association of recent marijuana use (within the last 30 days) and stroke in young adults (18–44 years) adjusting for patient demographics, risk behavior, and relevant comorbidities. Results— Overall, 13.6% of participants (n=43 860; weighted 35.5 million; 49.9% men) reported using marijuana recently (in the last month), with 63.3% of them being men. Compared with nonusers, marijuana users were often younger (18–34 years; 73.8% versus 61%), non-Hispanic white or black, and with some college education. Marijuana users were often physically active (81.8% versus 77.5%), heavy drinkers (16.8% versus 4.9%), current combustible cigarette users (37.9% versus 15%) and had lower prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia as compared with nonusers ( P <0.01). Young adults with recent marijuana use showed 1.82× higher odds (adjusted odds ratio, 1.82 [95% CI, 1.08–3.10]) of stroke compared with nonusers, which further increased to 2.45× higher (adjusted odds ratio, 2.45 [95% CI, 1.31–4.60]) among frequent marijuana users (>10 days/month). Compared with nonusers, stroke odds were even higher among frequent marijuana users with concomitant combustible cigarette use (adjusted odds ratio, 3.12 [95% CI, 1.40–6.97]) and e-cigarette use (adjusted odds ratio, 2.63 [95% CI, 1.07–6.46]), respectively. Conclusions— There may be a significantly higher odds of stroke in young marijuana users (18–44 years) as compared with nonusers with even greater odds among frequent users (>10 days/month).