A new study has potentially good news for marijuana users as we head into peak Covid season. People who use cannabis were found to be less likely to experience serious illness and even death.

The study , which was conducted by Northwell Health in New York and published last week in the Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research medical journal, found that cannabis users had better outcomes and mortality compared with non-users. The researchers believe that the beneficial effect of the drug use may be attributed to its immuno-modulatory effects, which helps the body fight off infection and disease.

In coming up with the findings, the team analyzed Covid patient data from the National Inpatient Sample Database and then divided the patients into two groups based on cannabis use. A total of 322,214 patients were included in the study, with 2,603 being cannabis users. User and non-users were then matched to adjust for factors such as age, race, gender, and other comorbidities. Cannabis users also tended to be younger and had a higher prevalence of tobacco use.

According to Forbes , 28.2 percent of cannabis users were found to have experienced serious infection, compared to a near double 46.6 percent of non-users. The mortality rate was likewise just 2.8 percent for users and 5.1 for non-users, with intubation rates at 7.1 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively. Cannabis users also had shorter hospital stays of 6.4 days compared to 7.0 days for non-users.

"On initial analysis, cannabis users had significantly lower rates of severe COVID-19 infection, intubation, ARDS, acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis with multiorgan failure, mortality, and shorter length of hospital stay," the study’s authors write. "After 1:1 matching, cannabis use was associated with lower rates of severe Covid-19 infection, intubation, ARDS, acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis with multiorgan failure, mortality, and shorter length of hospital stay."

This is not the first study that has linked marijuana use to Covid outcomes. In 2022, researchers at Oregon State University published a study that found certain cannabinoids, as in the naturally occurring biological compounds found in cannabis, prevented the virus from entering human cells. The cannabinoid acids, which […]

Marijuana Users Less Likely to Experience Severe Covid Infections, Study Confirms