In recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found a concerning link between cannabis use and the increased risk of severe illness for those with COVID-19.
This study analyzed health records of 72,501 people treated for COVID-19 at health centers in a Midwestern healthcare system during the first two years of the pandemic. It revealed that individuals who used cannabis at least once in the year before developing COVID-19 were significantly more likely to need hospitalization and intensive care compared to non-users, with risks comparable to smoking.
The research utilized deidentified electronic health records from hospitals and clinics in Missouri and Illinois, covering demographic details, medical conditions, substance use, and COVID-19 outcomes.
Their study found that cannabis users were 80% more likely to be hospitalized and 27% more likely to require ICU care compared to non-users, after adjusting for smoking, vaccination, health conditions, and demographics. For smokers, these figures were 72% and 22%, respectively.
“The independent effect of cannabis is similar to the independent effect of tobacco regarding the risk of hospitalization and intensive care,” said author, Jingling Chen. “For the risk of death, tobacco risk is clear but more evidence is needed for cannabis.”
The study demonstrates the fact that smoking cannabis is just as bad and toxic as cigarettes for the lungs, especially in the the toxins created through combustion from smoking,
“Most of the evidence suggesting that cannabis is good for you comes from studies in cells or animals,” Chen said. “The advantage of our study is that it is in people and uses real-world health-care data collected across multiple sites over an extended time period. All the outcomes were verified: hospitalization, ICU stay, death. Using this data set, we were able to confirm the well-established effects of smoking, which suggests that the data are reliable.”
While society will make all sorts of claims to justify its wrongs, fact is, if breathing and health is important for you, don’t smoke.
NB Griffith et al. Cannabis, Tobacco Use, and COVID-19 Outcomes. JAMA Network Open (2024). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.17977
