Researchers say long-term marijuana use can increase the risk of hypertension, but cannabis advocates say this particular study is faulty.

When it comes to heart health, is marijuana any safer for you than tobacco?

A new study published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology concluded that marijuana use is associated with a threefold risk of death from hypertension.

“This is not surprising since marijuana is known to have a number of effects on the cardiovascular system. Marijuana stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to increases in heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen demand,” said Barbara A. Yankey, study lead author, and PhD student in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University, in a press statement.

Their results were based on a specially designed retrospective study.

Researchers analyzed data from 1,213 participants who were considered marijuana users based on their responses to the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

This data was cross referenced with mortality data from 2011 from the National Center for Health Statistics.

“Steps are being taken toward legalization and decriminalization of marijuana in the United States, and rates of recreational marijuana use may increase substantially as a result,” said Yankey. “We found higher estimated cardiovascular risks associated with marijuana use than cigarette smoking.”