Effects of cannabis on pulmonary structure, function and symptoms
Sarah Aldington,Mathew Williams,Michael Nowitz,Mark Weatherall,Alison Pritchard,Amanda McNaughton,Geoffrey Robinson,Richard Beasley +7 more
TLDR
Smoking cannabis was associated with a dose-related impairment of large airways function resulting in airflow obstruction and hyperinflation and the 1:2.5–5 dose equivalence between cannabis joints and tobacco cigarettes for adverse effects on lung function is of major public health significance.Abstract:
Background: Cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug worldwide. Long term use of cannabis is known to cause chronic bronchitis and airflow obstruction, however the frequency of macroscopic emphysema, the dose-response relationship and the dose equivalence of cannabis with tobacco has not been determined.
Methods: A convenience sample of adults from the Greater Wellington Region was recruited into four smoking groups; cannabis only, tobacco only, combined cannabis and tobacco and non-smokers of either substance. Their respiratory status was assessed using high resolution CT scanning, pulmonary function tests and a respiratory and smoking questionnaire. Associations between respiratory status and cannabis use were examined by analysis of covariance and logistic regression.
Results: A total of 339 subjects were recruited into the four groups. A dose-response relationship was found between cannabis smoking and reduced FEV1/FVC and sGaw, and increased TLC. For measures of airflow obstruction, one cannabis joint had a similar effect to between 2.5 and 6 tobacco cigarettes. Cannabis smoking was associated with decreased lung density on HRCT scans. Macroscopic emphysema was detected in 1/75 (1.3%), 15/92 (16.3%), 17/91 (18.9%) and 0/81 subjects in the cannabis only, combined cannabis and tobacco, tobacco alone and non-smoking groups respectively.
Conclusions: Smoking cannabis was associated with a dose-related impairment of large airways function resulting in airflow obstruction and hyperinflation. In contrast, cannabis smoking was seldom associated with macroscopic emphysema. The 1:2.5 to 6 dose equivalence between cannabis joints and tobacco cigarettes for adverse effects on lung function is of major public health significance.read more
Citations
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Adverse health effects of non-medical cannabis use
Wayne Hall,Louisa Degenhardt +1 more
TL;DR: The most probable adverse effects include a dependence syndrome, increased risk of motor vehicle crashes, impaired respiratory function, cardiovascular disease, and adverse effects of regular use on adolescent psychosocial development and mental health.
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The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research
TL;DR: Despite increased cannabis use and a changing state-level policy landscape, conclusive evidence regarding the shortand long-term health effects—both harms and benefits—of cannabis use remains elusive.
Journal ArticleDOI
What has research over the past two decades revealed about the adverse health effects of recreational cannabis use
TL;DR: The epidemiological literature in the past 20 years shows that cannabis use increases the risk of accidents and can produce dependence, and that there are consistent associations between regular cannabis use and poor psychosocial outcomes and mental health in adulthood.
Journal ArticleDOI
The co-occurring use and misuse of cannabis and tobacco: a review
TL;DR: There is accumulating evidence that some mechanisms linking cannabis and tobacco use are distinct from those contributing to co-occurring use of drugs in general, and an urgent need for research to identify the underlying mechanisms and harness their potential etiological implications to tailor treatment options for this serious public health challenge.
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Screening for and early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
TL;DR: Despite substantial effort and investment, implementation of quality spirometry is deficient because of several hurdles and limitations, described in this Review.
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TL;DR: This section is written to provide guidance in interpreting pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to medical directors of hospital-based laboratories that perform PFTs, and physicians who are responsible for interpreting the results of PFTS most commonly ordered for clinical purposes.
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