A stroke of bad luck
If you are one of the more than 45 million Americans who have used marijuana, cocaine or amphetamines in the past month, I'm afraid the party's over -- or should be. A study in the International Journal of Stroke looked at data from 32 studies with more than 100 million participants and found that using cocaine ups your risk for a stroke by 96%; speed boosts the risk by 122%, and weed elevates it by 37%.
Cocaine is a trigger for cardioembolic stroke (caused by a blood clot that travels from the heart to the brain) and intracerebral hemorrhage, which happens when a ruptured blood vessel causes bleeding inside the brain. Speed is implicated in the widest variety of events, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. And although marijuana isn't as profoundly risky as cocaine or amphetamines, it is associated with large artery stroke, AKA large vessel occlusion. It's caused by a blockage, often from atherosclerotic plaque, in the carotid or middle cerebral artery.
The study also showed that being under age 55 offers no protection from drug-related strokes -- especially if you use amphetamines. They up the risk of stroke for younger adults by 174%! Cocaine boosts it by 97%. And marijuana ups it by 14%. Psst! At any age, eating gummies and vaping is as risky as smoking a joint.
If you have a substance abuse problem, there's good info and services available through samhsa.gov/find-help. And for a personalized plan to improve your mental and physical health, visit the AI coaching program at 4YOUngevity.com.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@4YOUngevity.com.
(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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