Cannabis Users Have Milder COVID-19 Outcomes

We may no longer be in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, but COVID-19 is still a significant health concern for Americans and people across the globe. COVID-19 is a dangerous and highly contagious virus. It spreads quickly and easily, causing flu-like symptoms and respiratory issues. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 1.2 million Americans have died from COVID-19 infection.

The virus is hazardous for older people, children, the immunocompromised, and those with specific disabilities and underlying health conditions. However, one group of people seems less likely to suffer the severe symptoms and health problems associated with a COVID-19 infection. That group of people? Marijuana users. A new study suggests that those who consume cannabis may have better health outcomes and lower mortality rates compared with non-cannabis users.

What does this new study say about the COVID-19 virus and how marijuana interacts with the human body? It may help researchers to understand the potential immunomodulatory effects of the chemical compounds in cannabis plants.

Study Indicates People Who Consume Marijuana Less Likely to Suffer Severe COVID-19 Infections

A recent study in the journal “Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research” examined data from the National Inpatient Sample Database, which specifically tracks hospital admissions. Researchers examined patients admitted with a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and divided them into two groups: cannabis users and non-cannabis users. Researchers also attempted to match patients to help them account for differences in age, gender, and race so as not to skew the results of their research.

Observations of the data found that cannabis users suffered significantly lower rates of severe COVID-19 infection and intubation. Intubation is a medical procedure where a flexible, plastic tube is inserted down a patient’s trachea through the nose or mouth to help keep the airway open, allowing the patient to breathe. The data also showed that cannabis users had lower rates of acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute respiratory failure, and sepsis, which is a severe and potential response to infection. Those who consumed cannabis also had shorter hospital stays and lower mortality rates.

Researchers concluded from the data that those who consume cannabis have a better prognosis. They are less likely to suffer the severe and detrimental effects of a COVID-19 infection. Many people assume COVID-19 is like the flu. You feel sick, lethargic, and stuffy for a few days and then bounce back. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. It is a serious condition that can cause fever, cough, headache, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat, congestion, and nausea. In severe cases, people can experience breathing problems, pain or pressure in the chest, and mental confusion. Complications from the illness can include:

• Long-term loss of taste and smell
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Shock
• Blood clots
• Kidney injury
• Organ failure
• Death

New Study Supports Previous Scientific Findings

The new study is vital because it seems to back up previous findings associated with cannabis and COVID-19 infection outcomes. This comes on the heels of a previous study conducted by researchers in Canada. They found that cannabinoids may “prevent viral entry, mitigate oxidative stress, and alleviate the associated cytokine storm” associated with early COVID-19 infections. A “cytokine storm” is a severe immune system reaction when the body releases too many cytokines into the bloodstream. Cytokines play a crucial role in normal immune system responses. However, during a “storm” caused by infection or an autoimmune condition, these chemicals can cause cytokine-associated toxicity and other medical complications.

The Canadian research also found that cannabinoids may also help treat the symptoms of “long-COVID.” These include depression, anxiety, pain, and loss of appetite. There is still a great deal of debate about long-term COVID-19. However, it is generally defined as a chronic condition that lasts for at least three months after a COVID-19 diagnosis. Many people who complain about suffering long-COVID experience brain fog, respiratory issues, fatigue, and loss of appetite, which may also be associated with the loss or changes in their sense of smell and taste.

Researchers suggest that cannabis and cannabis-based therapies may help prevent viral entry and act as anti-inflammatory agents. Combined, these interactions may improve long-COVID symptoms.

A 2022 study from Oregon State University also shows that hemp compounds may prevent the coronavirus from entering human cells. Hemp is in the cannabis family and contains many of the same chemical compounds as cannabis but in different concentrations. Specific cannabinoid compounds in hemp help block the virus-receptor interaction and prevent infection of human epithelial cells by the coronavirus proteins. While the study focused on cannabinoids in a clinical setting and not on marijuana-consuming patients, it still shows the promising connection between the compound found in cannabis plants and how these chemicals may hold the key to developing treatments for those not only suffering from COVID and long-COVID complications but other viral illnesses as well.

Shifting the Focus to Continued Research

The results of these studies are promising. However, there needs to be more research to draw more appropriate conclusions about the interaction between the chemical compounds in cannabis and their ability to fight or prevent COVID-19 infections or complications. Just like in other industries, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, people claimed left and right that one product would protect you or prevent infection without proof that those claims were accurate.

A former NFL player once claimed on social media that cannabis products would prevent and cure COVID-19. Interestingly enough, he also has his own cannabis brand. While new studies have shown cannabis compounds may help reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections, these claims were made when researchers were still trying to understand COVID-19, and there was little to no evidence showing cannabis, or any other product prevented infection.

The issue is reminiscent of the ivermectin craze during the pandemic when people claimed the anti-parasitic drug could treat and potentially prevent COVID-19 infections. Ivermectin is a drug used to deworm horses, cows, and livestock. It does not treat COVID, and the FDA had to discourage people from consuming horse deworming medications.

Further research and an open mind may help future researchers uncover how the compounds in cannabis work within the body to help fight viral infections like COVID-19 before the next potential epidemic.

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