Cannabis
Is Cannabis Good for Covid? New Study Says Yes!
A recent study found that cannabis users had better outcomes than non-users, when it comes to covid.
The corona virus
Having the corona virus is not ideal; but its never ideal to have a virus. The reality of life is that we do nearly everything we can, to avoid any kind of sickness, or pain, or uncomfortable experience. Of course, try as we might, life happens anyway; and consistent with that, the grand pandemic of the last few years, has by now hit a wide percentage of the population.
Covid, or SARS-CoV-2, or corona, is often defined as a ‘novel’ virus; but in fact, this terminology simply means we hadn’t specifically dealt with this particular version of corona before. The virus is actually a member of the Coronaviridae family of viruses, which accounted for 45 different already known-about species, in 2020. In fact, 15% of all common colds, are coronaviruses; which means, they’re rather common. Several years before this corona came out, we dealt with a fundamentally more deadly version, dubbed SARS. So, really, we’re very familiar with coronaviruses.
So familiar, in fact, that there was already a lot of research done on how to fight them. Much of that research was done in the plant world; where it was established as early as 2003, that glycyrrhizin from licorice “was the most active in inhibiting replication of the SARS-associated virus.” According to researchers of the study the quote comes from, “findings suggest that glycyrrhizin should be assessed for treatment of SARS.” This was not done, however. Instead, it became a big debate about masks and vaccines.
The pandemic has been one of the most hotly contested topics of debate recently. Everything from what exactly it does, to how deadly it is, to how quickly it spreads, to the efficacy of vaccines and masks; were all points of argument throughout the US, and the world. It got to the point where people were fighting over whether the flu had gone out of existence, with all damage attributable to corona (it didn’t.)
You’d think this virus was the topic of Martians landing on the earth, or Bigfoot; it certainly came off that way. And as such, I’m not here to give opinions. Rather, I’m here to share some new research, which explains how its quite possible that cannabis users did better than non cannabis users, when it comes to covid outcomes.
Covid and cannabis study – set up
It’s not like study investigators went around and asked everyone who had covid, what their cannabis use habits were. All data for the recently published study, Exploring the relationship between marijuana smoking and covid-19 outcomes, came from the National Inpatient Sample Database. All individuals, therefore, were admitted into a hospital, and came up positive on a covid test.
According to study investigators, the “purpose of the study is to compare the outcomes of COVID-19 infection on individuals who use marijuana and those who do not.” The thought behind the investigation, is that cannabinoids have at least some immunomodulatory abilities; but that we don’t always know what they are, or where they’re beneficial. In this particular case, the investigation was purely into how people with covid fared; between cannabis users, and non-users.
Cannabis use was the dividing factor, which created two groups. Beyond looking at just cannabis use, investigators also took into account demographics information, and issues of comorbidity with other medical issues/problems. Investigators automatically excluded patients without all data available, and who were under 18 years of age. Investigators used something called “greedy propensity” to match marijuana users to non-users at a ratio of 1:1, for age, race, gender, and 17 other factors, like chronic heart or lung disease.
What did the covid cannabis study find?
Altogether, the study looked at the information of 322,214 patients; and of them, 2,603 used cannabis. Overall, cannabis users were generally younger, and had a greater chance of being tobacco users as well. Regardless of more tobacco use, however, the cannabis users group, showed less issues with “obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.”
A univariate analysis showed that those who used cannabis, had a 6.8% chance of intubation vs the 12% chance of non-cannabis users; a 2.1% chance of acute respiratory distress syndrome, in comparison to 6% for non-users; a 25% chance of acute respiratory failure, compared to 52.9% for non-users; and a 5.8% chance of severe sepsis accompanied by multi-organ failure, in comparison to 12% for everybody else.
Other places where cannabis users showed greater health than their non-using contemporaries, were with the following: in-hospital cardiac arrest, which was 1.2% for cannabis users vs 2.7% for non-users; and death, for which cannabis users had a 2.9% chance vs non-users at 13.5%.
Study investigators concluded that “Marijuana smokers had better outcomes and mortality compared to non-users. The beneficial effect of marijuana use may be attributed to its potential to inhibit viral entry into cells and prevent the release of proinflammatory cytokines, thus mitigating cytokine release syndrome.” They continued that the topic “warrants further investigation of the association between marijuana use and COVID-19.”
An interesting take-away
I’m not here to make medical judgements about this research, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t spend a little time on one point: cigarettes. The reason I bring them up, is because smoking in general (lighting something on fire and breathing it in) is the most destructive overall drug or method of consumption. It’s related to so many health problems, that it brings up a point of interest here.
The cannabis group was associated with two things: a higher rate of tobacco use, and a lower rate of all the issues listed above. This one specific vice does not account for other bad health behaviors like drinking or overeating; so this specification doesn’t have to be meaningful. But its still interesting to ponder for a moment.
The group that should’ve had raised issues with all co-morbid diseases, (especially related to the lungs and heart); had fewer in some arenas. It’s almost never seen that the tobacco-using group, is the group also associated with less health problems, and a lesser rate of death. Now, sure, it could be that everyone else was a heavy drinker, or had some other health-hurting habit, or that the data collected is not an accurate representation. Studies often fall short, and we don’t have all information.
So, is this actually true? I can’t verify it. I point it out for the sheer fact that it’s not usually seen. Usually, when there are higher rates of tobacco use, this means smoking; and smoking means higher rates of just about everything else. We’re talking about people who made it into a hospital because of this virus, so it suffices to say that no one was in particularly good shape going in. Yet somehow, even with more tobacco users; the weed group did better medically.
I should put in, however, that how the tobacco users used the tobacco, was not defined. Nor was it defined, how cannabis users, used cannabis. Its quite possible that a large percentage of tobacco users, were vaping instead, and not actively smoking. Either way, this gives credence to both the ideas that cannabis can fight illness, and that vaping is a better option to smoking.
Conclusion
This is just one study. Chances are, if you mess with numbers enough, you can get them to say just about anything, so even these results can be taken with a grain of salt. Even so, we of the cannabis world can take this as a win for now. And perhaps beyond looking into how well components of licorice can treat the illness, we should also be looking further at how cannabis fights covid.
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It is a summer of political news, students protests, family gathering and just every day drama – can marijuana help with a temporary break?
This summer will be filled with ongoing political news as the presidential election is in the fall. Add oversees wars and campus protests and conversations with some people could be fraught with drama. And summer is the time of family gatherings, birthdays, weddings or a 4th of July picnic, it can be stressful. Can marijuana give a break from all the drama. The answer is heck yes! And you will feel better than overindulging in booze.
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While taking a break, breathing, or going for a walk can help, sometimes you get overwhelmed. Avoiding putting yourself in these situations by reducing your news and social media input, putting boundaries around certain people and other healthy habits are import, a quick, easy solution is needed in some situations. Cannabis can provide a temporary relief as it is a proven help against anxiety. To use this tool, there are a few things to know and also not to be over reliant on it as a solution.
Part of the way marijuana chills you out with the active cannabinoid THC. It acts through cannabinoid receptors which activates the brain’s reward system. These includes regions that govern the response to healthy pleasurable behaviors. It also adjusts perception of time, which is what makes movies and music sound better as it allows you to stop and really absorb the moment.
The younger generation has taken advantage of consumption methods to have marijuana on-the-go. Vaping is the second, and trends show soon to be first, most popular method of use. Like gummies (the third most popular way to consume), it is easy, discreet and portable for those with an active lifestyle. You can also manage dosing so you are not too high or suddenly have couch lock.
Done right, a high, even a moderate one, can last 2-10 hours. Smoking a joint provides the quickest and most powerful, while a gummy takes 30-45 minutes to kick it, but it is much easier to manage the dosage. Vaping is a way to maintain a steady chill.
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One good thing about taking a “time out” and breathing from the drama, it is a better on our mental and physical health.
One recent survey discovered
- 1 in 5 had lost sleep over politics
- 20 percent reported feeling fatigued because of political news
- 29 percent reported losing their temper over politics
- One quarter said they felt hateful toward those with opposing political views
- More than 20 percent have had political disagreements damage their friendships
However you do it, be mindful of where you are and make sure you don’t let outside forces squash you happiness and enjoyment of each day.
It is a historic move for a country which had prohibition, but consumers are using their wallets to show they support it,
Culture wars have been an American tradition – from the battle over TicTok to the alcohol prohibition in the 1920s. It was said the only thing to come out of the anti-liquor period was it taught good citizens how to break the law. But in general, if the public wants it, the public will have it, legal or not. The perfect is example is the Pornhub ban in Utah and Texas, which has sent VPN sign ups sky high. And consumer spending validates marijuana rescheduling in a major way.
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Some politicians and leaders believe in the nanny state option. Those include a few governors lead by Ron DeSantis, Mitch McConnell, and a few other special interest groups. But the Biden’s administration’s decision to reschedule cannabis lines up with public opinion. Over 85% believe it should legal in some form, and more importantly, they are putting their money toward what they want. Leading analyst firm, BDSA, shared the public’s spending habit’s match their thoughts on rescheduling.
Following the tradition, cannabis sales moved higher again this year. Sales on 20 April 2024 sales were $167M, a 33% increase over the previous year. Trends like California sober are going strong and Gen Z continues to move away from alcohol and move toward marijuana vapes and gummies. Lifestyle habits are starting to adjust slightly away from alcohol and more low alcohol drinks, mocktails, and cannabis eat away at the traditional market. Alcohol is much rougher on the body, so many are opting for a semi-healthier option.
It is a benefit for fully recreational states as even Missouri makes significant tax income on cannabis. Most governors are on board with rescheduling at it is not only the public’s will, but it helps the state’s coffers and actually helps in other areas. Even New York State, with over 1,500 non tax paying illicit stores making money, made some income. They have less than 100 licensed dispensaries generating over $175 million.
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On an interesting sidebar, like holidays, there are some holidays where cannabis use is up. Here are the largest for 2023
- 420
- Green Wednesday
- Black Friday
- St Patrick’s Day
- Veteran’s Day
In comparison, alcohol’s largest days are:
- New Year’s Eve
- St. Patrick’s Day
- July 4th
- Day Before Thanksgiving/ Blackout Wednesday/ Drinksgiving
- Black Friday
Let’s see how the next 12 months works for the industry, the government and the public.
The Biden administration’s marijuana rescheduling takes the next step
The Department of Justice is moving marijuana rescheduling to the next step. The administration has proposed moving the drug from Schedule I, a strict classification including drugs like heroin, to Schedule III, which is more on the level of Tylenol. It also marks the federal government acknowledgement the plants medical benefits. The industry will watch over the next few months as the process of moving it forward grinds ahead.
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President Joe Biden announced move on his official account on X (formerly known as Twitter. In a video Biden shared “This is monumental, It’s an important move towards reversing long-standing inequities. … Far too many lives have been upended because of a failed approach to marijuana, and I’m committed to righting those wrongs. You have my word on it.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also released a video Thursday, hailing the progress. It seems she has progressed in her position over the last 5 years.
A key part of the next step is a 60-day comment period. This will allow any and all parties to provide information, opinion, support or random thoughts. Already a group of GOP Senators want to either slow or stop the process. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has started leading an effort to stall the plan if not outright stop it. They are going against the general public opinion with 85%+ believe it should be legal in some form.
The Drug Enforcement Agency is not 100% on board and there are still hurdles to rescheduling. After the comment person, there could be a review from an administrative judge, which could be a drawn-out process. The total process can take from 3 months to a year, although it is unlikely the issue will not be resolved before the election.
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Considering the stance of the federal government, Senator Mitch McConnell, and certain other opponents, the road is still going to be a bit bumpy. The industry, in an awkward growth mood, is in need of the government not to be a hindrance. But only time will tell.
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