There have been questions over how cannabis consumption might impact someone ’s risk of severe disease if they get COVID-19 , but a newfangled study claims to be able-bodied to address some of the mix-up . It seems clear that cannabis use is as risky as smoke when it comes to COVID , with masses who used the drug at least once in the twelvemonth prior to press the virus being importantly more likely to require hospital treatment .

The written report , from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin - Madison , looked at the wellness records of 72,501 people who were address for COVID-19 at clinics within a large Midwest healthcare organization in a two - year period between 2020 and 2022 .

The data showed that people who said they ’d used any form ofcannabisduring the precede year before catch COVID were 80 percent more probable to command hospitalization and 27 pct more potential to involve intensive care treatment than those who had not used marihuana . This was after adjusting for factors likevaccinationstatus and other health conditions .

As a risk divisor for severe disease , this put cannabis use on a par withsmokingtobacco .

“ There ’s this sense among the public that cannabis is dependable to use , that it ’s not as unsound for your wellness as smoking or drinking , that it may even be adept for you . I think that ’s because there has n’t been as much inquiry on the wellness gist of cannabis as compared to tobacco or alcohol , ” tell senior author Professor Li - Shiun Chen in astatement .

“ What we found is that cannabis role is not harmless in the circumstance of COVID-19 . People who cover yes to current cannabis use , at any frequency , were more probable to expect hospitalization insurance and intensive care than those who did not use hemp . ”

While marihuana was associated with more severe COVID-19 symptoms , it did differ from smoking in one important elbow room . There ’s not yet enough grounds to show that cannabis use is tie in with increased peril ofdeath , whereas for smoking the link is clear : smoker are importantly more likely to give-up the ghost from COVID than nonsmokers .

Some previous research had suggested that marihuana may render some sort of protective effect against virus likeSARS - CoV-2 , but these data point from substantial - world patients do not patronise that hypothesis .

“ Most of the grounds suggesting that cannabis is good for you comes from study in cells or brute , ” Chen explained . “ The advantage of our study is that it is in hoi polloi and uses real - earth health - aid data collect across multiple web site over an prolonged clip period . All the outcomes were verified : hospitalization , ICU stay , death . ”

“ Using this data set up , we were capable to support the well - establishedeffects of smoke , which suggest that the information are honest . ”

While it look as though ganja use worsens termination from COVID-19 , we ’re still not clear on why that may be . The writer suggest a few hypothesis , such as equipment casualty to lung tissue from fume marihuana or a dampening upshot on theimmune system . It ’s also not light whether the agency in which someone down marijuana create a difference of opinion .

“ We just do n’t have sex whetherediblesare safer , ” said first writer and medical resident Dr Nicholas Griffith . “ the great unwashed were ask a yes - or - no question : ‘ Have you used cannabis in the past class ? ’ That give us enough information to establish that if you use cannabis , your health - care journey will be different , but we ca n’t know how much cannabis you have to use , or whether it makes a difference whether you smoke it or eat edibles . ”

He added , “ I hope this study opens the door to more research on the wellness effect of cannabis . ”

The study is published in the journalJAMA web Open .