The use of cannabis has been highly controversial for years, and even now when it has become more or less accepted by society at large we are still discovering some of the negatives and drawbacks that had not been analyzed before due to stigma, making it an even more polarizing substance. Some research has now found that users of cannabis can be at a greater risk of suffering strokes, heart attacks, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure and myocarditis, but an even newer study shows that frequent users might be at a higher risk of dementia.

Now, let’s not be alarmist here, tobacco, alcohol, sugar and many other substances that are perfectly legal to consume also have some serious side effects when done in excess, just like cannabis, but it is important to look at all new evidence thoroughly to ensure that we can make educated decisions about what to consume.

The study was performed on 6 million people and published April 14 in the journal JAMA Neurology. Study coauthor Dr. Daniel Myran, an assistant professor in the department of family medicine at the University of Ottawa in Canada gave some of the most troubling highlights away in a statement.

“Someone who has an emergency room visit or hospitalization due to cannabis has a 23% increased risk of dementia within five years compared to someone who was at the hospital for another reason. They have a 72% greater risk compared to the general population. Those numbers have already factored out other reasons for dementia, such as age, sex, mental health or substance use, and whether or not you have chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. However, this is not a study that anyone should look at and say, ‘Jury’s in, and cannabis use causes dementia. This is a study that brings up a concerning association that fits within a growing body of research.”

What this means is the same as with other types of substance abuse, doing it to the point of hospitalization does not bode well for your general health, but consumed in moderation it should not have too many side effects. Although, according to previous studies, cannabis users are nearly 25% more likely to need emergency care and hospitalization than nonusers.

Dr. Robert Page II, a professor of clinical pharmacy and physical medicine at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Aurora believes that this will educate more medical professionals on the dangers of dismissing patients that overuse this substance.

“People with cannabis use disorder are unable to stop using even though they encounter health or social problems from use,” said Page “When they stop using it, they either have withdrawal symptoms or have very bad mental health symptoms. They might have quite severe depression, or they might have anxiety, all of which can send them to the hospital. The other takeaway from this study is that many people believe marijuana to be natural and therefore safe. It is a psychotropic medication, so it’s going to have psychotropic effects. If you have underlying psychiatric issues, realize that you need to be transparent with your provider and let them know if you’re using this medically or recreationally.”

But the study goes even further than that. With the increase in potency that we are seeing for cannabis, use cases nowadays are more dangerous than those of just a few years ago. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, addiction to marijuana can happen to about 30% of people who use cannabis and it is now coming with the heightened risk of dementia.

According to Myran, the study found that “Within five years of an emergency room visit or hospitalization for cannabis, 5% of people were diagnosed with dementia, and within 10 years, 19% of people were diagnosed with dementia.” This substance is already known for changing neural connectivity in the brain, and if consumed daily, results are disastrous.

“There’s certainly a pathway where there’s potential inflammation and microvascular damage from marijuana,” he said. “It could be that regular cannabis use causes people to develop other risk factors for dementia, such as depression, social isolation and lower educational attainment. And it could be that people who regularly use cannabis are more likely to have major trauma to the brain such as a motor vehicle collision.”