Back in 2021, there were studies claiming cannabis PROTECTED against COVID. While any type of smoking would seem to be a risk factor for a respiratory disease, the current state of research is a joke. You get the result you pay for...
Cannabis use linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes
Stephanie Soucheray, MA June 21, 2024
COVID-19
pot smoking
Daria Kulkova/iStock
Cannabis use is linked to an increased risk of more serious COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) admission—similar to risks from tobacco use—according to a study today in JAMA Network Open from researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
As cannabis use becomes legal in many states and is used for medical purposes, the drug has developed somewhat of a “health halo,” with many Americans considering it healthier than tobacco or alcohol.
“What we found is that cannabis use is not harmless in the context of COVID-19. People who reported yes to current cannabis use, at any frequency, were more likely to require hospitalization and intensive care than those who did not use cannabis,” said senior study author Li-Shiun Chen, MD, MPH, ScD, in a press release from Washington University School of Medicine.
The study, based on outcomes among 72,501 people seen for COVID-19 at centers in a major Midwestern healthcare system during the first 2 years of the pandemic, offers an important take on the risks associated with cannabis use, especially in comparison to tobacco use.
Among the study participants, 51,006 (70.4%) needed hospitalization, 4,725 (6.5%) required an ICU visit, and 2,717 (3.7%) died. The average age was 48.9 years, 59.7% were female and 40.3% male, 27.6% were Black, and 69.6% were White.
In total, 68.8% had at least one comorbidity that was identified as potentially affecting COVID-19 outcomes, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The authors found that, of the study participants, 13.4% currently smoked; 24.4% formerly smoked; and 9.7% reported current use of cannabis.