Clinical overuse of marijuana is linked to a variety of complications after major elective surgery, including blood clots, stroke, breathing difficulties, kidney issues and even death, a new study found.
“Our findings complement previous studies that have identified significant associations between cannabis use disorders and perioperative complications,” the study’s authors wrote in the report. The research team is from the department of anesthesiology, critical care and pain medicine at McGovern Medical School, part of the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
Why would this be? Smoking marijuana impacts blood flow in the brain and body, decreases respiration and body temperature, contributes to airway blockages, raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, impacts heart rhythm, and more — all of which can make recovery from surgery more difficult, according to a November 2019 review of literature. Use of marijuana also increases post-op pain, according to an October 2020 study.
The new study’s finding is significant, the authors said, considering prior analyses have found nearly 3 of every 10 marijuana users develop a dependence on weed called cannabis use disorder.
A person is considered dependent on weed when they feel food cravings or a lack of appetite, irritability, restlessness, and mood and sleep difficulties after quitting, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Marijuana use becomes an addiction when a person is unable to quit using weed even though it interferes with many aspects of life.
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