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Cannabis Consumers Have Better Outcomes and Lower Mortality Rates from COVID-19, Study Shows
A new study presented at the annual conference of The American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) in Honolulu has found that cannabis consumers who contracted COVID-19 had significantly lower rates of intubation, respiratory failure, and death compared to non-consumers. The study, based on hospital data, suggests that cannabis may have the potential to inhibit viral entry into cells and prevent the release of proinflammatory cytokines, leading to better outcomes for those who use it.
The study, published in a supplement of the CHEST Journal, calls for further investigation into the association between marijuana use and COVID-19. Authors of the study presented their findings at the conference on Wednesday, alongside a poster. They analyzed records from over 300,000 patients from a government database that tracks hospital utilization and outcomes. Of those patients, less than 1% reported consuming cannabis.
The research team, made up of seven individuals, noted that marijuana consumers tended to be younger and have a higher prevalence of tobacco use. On the other hand, non-consumers had higher rates of other comorbidities, such as obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. The study also found that cannabis consumers had significantly lower rates of intubation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis with multiorgan failure, in-hospital cardiac arrest, and mortality.
Using a 1:1 matching analysis that compared marijuana consumers to non-users by age, race, gender, and 17 other comorbidities, the team found that cannabis consumers had lower rates of intubation, acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis with multiorgan failure, and mortality. The study excluded patients under 18 and those with missing information from the national database.
While the study uses the phrase “smoking cannabis,” it also includes participants who identified as “marijuana users.” It is unclear whether the research specifically looks at smoking cannabis or includes other forms of consumption, such as vaping and edibles. The lead author of the study, Fasih Sami Siddiqui, did not immediately respond to questions about this from Marijuana Moment.
As the study acknowledges, there is still much to be learned about the potential impact of marijuana use on COVID-19. There has been limited in-depth research on how cannabis may affect the virus, and more studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between the two.
