Cannabis Use Increases Pain After Surgery
Source: "Cannabis Use Increases Pain After Surgery," Neuroscience News, 23 October 2022.
One of the arguments for legalizing marijuana is that it can be used for pain management. This study shows that the claim may not be justified.
"Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States and increasingly used as an alternative treatment for chronic pain, but there is limited data that shows how it affects patient outcomes after surgery."
"Cannabis users experienced 14% more pain in the first 24 hours following surgery than non-cannabis users. Additionally, cannabis users consumed 7% more opioids post-surgery."
"Researchers analyzed the records of 34,521 adult patients — 1,681 of them cannabis users — who had elective surgeries at Cleveland Clinic from January 2010 to December 2020. The cannabis users had used the drug within 30 days before surgery, while the other patients had never used cannabis."
