Research has found that cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of heart disease

Smoking cigarettes is known to be one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. But cannabis use may not be far behind it

One cannabinoid, called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC , is what mainly causes the psychoactive effects a person feels when they smoke or ingest the plant

Cannabis arteritis: Heavy cannabis use can inflame arteries, damage blood vessel walls, and reduce blood flow to the organs

A vasospasm is when the muscular wall of an artery contracts, causing the artery to narrow and decrease the amount of blood that can go through it

Smoking cannabis releases compounds such as hydrogen cyanide and nitrogen oxides, which, apart from the cannabinoids, may have additional negative effects

Smoke of all kinds can damage arteries and the heart, there's simply not enough large-scale studies to see how exactly weed compares to cigarettes on heart health

However, there is still a lot of conflicting research on how cannabis is related to certain cardiovascular diseases — especially heart rhythm disorders