Cannabis use linked to worse COVID-19 outcomes during first two years of the pandemic

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 in JAMA Network Open from researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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"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.

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Cannabis not tied to increased risk of COVID death

The authors calculated risks for hospitalization, ICU admission, and all-cause mortality [during the first 2 years of the pandemic]. They found that cannabis use was significantly associated with increased risk of hospitalization (odds ratio [OR] 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.68 to 1.93) and ICU admission (OR 1.27; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.41) but not with all-cause mortality (OR 0.97; 95% CI, 0.82-1.14.)

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https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cannabis-use-linked-worse-covid-19-outcomes