According to a study based upon hospital data, cannabis users who contracted COVID-19 experienced significantly lower rates of respiratory failure, intubation and death than those who did not use marijuana. The study was presented at the American College of Chest Physicians’ annual conference in Honolulu this week.
The study found that marijuana users have better mortality and outcomes than non-users. It suggests the benefits may be due to marijuana’s ability to “inhibit viral entry into the cells and prevent proinflammatory cytokines.”
The report published as a CHEST Journal supplement says that “the significant decrease in mortality warrants further research into the association between COVID-19 and marijuana use.”
The authors of the study presented their findings in a presentation Wednesday, along with a poster, at the annual CHEST Conference.
The authors analyzed the records of 322,214 patients in the National Inpatient Sample. This is a government database which tracks hospital outcomes and utilization. 2603 patients (less than 1%) said they had consumed cannabis.
The seven-person team of researchers found that marijuana users were younger and more likely to smoke tobacco than non-users. The research team found that people who did not use marijuana were more likely to have other comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and obstructive sleeping apnea.
Cannabis users also reported significantly fewer health complications associated with COVID.
On univariate analyses, marijuana users had significantly reduced rates of intubation (6.8% vs 12%), severe sepsis and multi-organ failure (5.8% vs 12%), and acute respiratory failure (25 vs 52.9%). Also, they had lower rates of in-hospital cardiac death (2.9% vs 13.5% %).”
The team used a 1:1 match analysis to compare marijuana users and nonusers based on age, race, gender, “and 17 other comorbidities, including chronic lung diseases,” they found that cannabis users had lower rates of intubation. They also reported lower rates of severe sepsis, multiorgan failure, acute respiratory failure and morality.
The study excluded patients who were younger than 18 years old or whose information was missing in the national database.
The study refers to “smoking marijuana” but also “marijuana consumers.” It is not clear if the research focuses on smoking cannabis or if it includes other consumption methods such as edibles and vaping.
Fasih Siddiqui Fasih, the lead author of the study, did not respond immediately to Marijuana Moment’s emailed inquiries.
The study admits that “there is still a gap in our knowledge of the possible impact of cannabis use on COVID-19”. There have been few in-depth studies of how COVID and cannabis consumption interact. A 2022 report reached a different conclusion. It found that cannabis use is associated with lower COVID infection rates, but also more serious infections.
In a separate study from the same year, hospitalized patients also showed “significantly improved health outcomes” and “lower COVID-19 severe” scores.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted a 2022 lab study, and discovered certain cannabinoids could potentially prevent COVID-19 entering human cells. doctors at UCLA have pointed out that the study was based on CBG-A, CBD-A in lab conditions. It did not evaluate marijuana smoking by individuals.
Tobacco use is a health concern for COVID. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “being a former or current cigarette smoker makes you more likely than others to become very sick with COVID-19.”
In the early months following the COVID-19 outbreak, cannabis supporters claimed, with little evidence, that CBD or marijuana could treat, prevent or even cure the coronavirus. Many other advocates cautioned this claim was premature and dangerous.
In March 2020 for example, former NFL star Kyle Turley, who said that medical cannabis changed his life, and now runs his own cannabis-brand, made a number of unsubstantiated social media claims that cannabis could “prevent” or “cure COVID-19.
Some of the tweets have been removed, but others still remain. They include statements like “CBD can prevent and cure the CORONA virus” or “CANNABIS will prevent & cure COVID19 !!!!!! !…..commence hate.”
Turley claimed in a now-deleted Twitter that cannabis products were “the cure for Cancer.”
Turley called the critics of his marijuana moment interview “cowards” at that time.
“I have been working on my own dime and on my time to advance this conversation. I’ve taken my family away for it.” “I’ve done that,” he said. “I am an American and live in America. I was a first-round draft pick. I have made millions. God has saved my life because of this plant. “Get used to it,” said the man. “And I will continue to spread His Word.”
Turley’s NeuroXPF company was later targeted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Federal Trade Commission.
Other people used the pandemic to support marijuana legalization for different reasons. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, for example (D), said in November 2020 that legalizing marijuana would reduce travel to New Jersey and prevent the spread covid.
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Photo by Mike Latimer
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