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Hassan Kalantar Neyestanaki M, Gholizadeh O, Hosseini Tabatabaie F, Akbarzadeh S, Yasamineh S, Afkhami H, Sedighi S. Immunomodulatory effects of cannabinoids against viral infections: a review of its potential use in SARS-CoV2 infection. Virusdisease 2024; 35:342-356. [PMID: 39071880 PMCID: PMC11269557 DOI: 10.1007/s13337-024-00871-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis affecting millions of people worldwide. Along with vaccine development, there is also a priority to discover new drugs and treatments. One approach involves modulating the immune system to manage inflammation and cytokine storms. Patients with a high severity of complications exhibit a high level of inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-6, in the airways and other infected tissues. Several studies have reported the function of the endocannabinoid system in regulating inflammation and different immune responses. Cannabinoids are a class of natural chemicals found in the Cannabis plant. Recently, the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabinoids and their mediatory immunosuppression mechanisms through the endocannabinoid system have engrossed scientists in the health field for infectious conditions. Research suggests that the immune system can regulate cytokine activation through cannabinoid receptors, particularly with Cannabidiol (CBD), the second most prevalent compound in cannabis. While CBD has been deemed safe by the World Health Organization and shows no signs of abuse potential, excessive CBD use may lead to respiratory depression. CBD shows promise in reducing immune cell recruitment and cytokine storms in organs affected by SARS-CoV2. However, before clinical use, it's crucial to evaluate cannabinoid-based medications' active ingredient concentrations and potential interactions with other drugs, along with associated side effects. Indication-based dosing, consistent formulations, and ensuring purity and potency are essential. This review highlights cannabinoids' effects on COVID-19 management and prognosis, drawing from preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fatemeh Hosseini Tabatabaie
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sama Akbarzadeh
- Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Science, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saman Yasamineh
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamed Afkhami
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Sedighi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Science of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
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Fischer B, Jutras-Aswad D, Hall W. Résultats associés à la politique canadienne de légalisation du cannabis pour usage à des fins récréatives: bilan après 5 ans. CMAJ 2023; 195:E1648-E1650. [PMID: 38049164 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.230808-f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Fischer
- Centre de recherche appliquée en santé mentale et en toxicomanie (Fischer), Faculté des sciences de la santé, Université Simon Fraser, Vancouver, C.-B.; Division de la recherche et des études de cycle supérieur (Fischer), Université de la vallée du Fraser, Abbotsford, C.-B.; Département de psychiatrie (Fischer), Université de Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; École de santé des populations (Fischer), Université d'Auckland, Auckland, Nouvelle-Zélande; Département de psychiatrie (Fischer), Université fédérale de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brésil; Département de psychiatrie et d'addictologie (Jutras-Aswad), Université de Montréal; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) (Jutras-Aswad), Montréal, Qc; Centre de recherche national sur l'usage de substances psychoactives chez les jeunes (Hall), Faculté des sciences de la santé et du comportement, Université du Queensland, Sainte-Lucia, Australie.
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- Centre de recherche appliquée en santé mentale et en toxicomanie (Fischer), Faculté des sciences de la santé, Université Simon Fraser, Vancouver, C.-B.; Division de la recherche et des études de cycle supérieur (Fischer), Université de la vallée du Fraser, Abbotsford, C.-B.; Département de psychiatrie (Fischer), Université de Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; École de santé des populations (Fischer), Université d'Auckland, Auckland, Nouvelle-Zélande; Département de psychiatrie (Fischer), Université fédérale de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brésil; Département de psychiatrie et d'addictologie (Jutras-Aswad), Université de Montréal; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) (Jutras-Aswad), Montréal, Qc; Centre de recherche national sur l'usage de substances psychoactives chez les jeunes (Hall), Faculté des sciences de la santé et du comportement, Université du Queensland, Sainte-Lucia, Australie
| | - Wayne Hall
- Centre de recherche appliquée en santé mentale et en toxicomanie (Fischer), Faculté des sciences de la santé, Université Simon Fraser, Vancouver, C.-B.; Division de la recherche et des études de cycle supérieur (Fischer), Université de la vallée du Fraser, Abbotsford, C.-B.; Département de psychiatrie (Fischer), Université de Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; École de santé des populations (Fischer), Université d'Auckland, Auckland, Nouvelle-Zélande; Département de psychiatrie (Fischer), Université fédérale de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brésil; Département de psychiatrie et d'addictologie (Jutras-Aswad), Université de Montréal; Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) (Jutras-Aswad), Montréal, Qc; Centre de recherche national sur l'usage de substances psychoactives chez les jeunes (Hall), Faculté des sciences de la santé et du comportement, Université du Queensland, Sainte-Lucia, Australie
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Ghaderi A, Khoshakhlagh AH, Gruszecka-Kosowska A, Alemi F, Hazegh P, Aghaei Z, Molavi N, Mahdavi M, Vahed N, Dehkohneh SG, Ostadmohammady F, Das D. Blood-lead level in humans and drug addiction: a comprehensive study in Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:112071-112085. [PMID: 37828260 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30179-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Drug abuse has a high prevalence worldwide and causes many health-related disorders. There are limited human exposure studies on establishing lead exposure levels and their propensity for drug addiction. In the present study, blood samples were tested for lead (Pb) concentrations in illicit drug users together with the related symptoms in comparison with control group of non-drug users. The study was performed on 250 volunteers divided equally in four drug groups, namely, opioids, hashish, methadone, and methamphetamine, and one control group of non-drug users. Participants were recruited from drug addiction clinics and camps in Kashan city, Iran, who were using drugs continuously for more than 1 year. Control group was recruited from companions of the patients with no drug use history. In the investigated groups of drug users, the highest blood-lead level (BLL) concentrations were observed in the opioid group (mean 37.57 µg/dL) with almost 3.7 times higher than in the control group (mean 3.39 µg/dL). In the methamphetamine group, type of occupation had the significant association with BLL concentrations. The positive correlation was revealed in the opioid and methadone groups for BLL concentrations and the duration of drug usage. In the opioid group, the highest BLL concentrations were observed among users who used both methods of drug use: smoking and eating. Also, several behavioral and life-style factors were identified which influence the blood-lead concentration in the drug users. The results of our study revealed that the BLL concentrations in investigated drug users' groups were significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.001). That can be related with the Pb contents in illicitly used drugs. Apart other adverse health effects, long-term illicit drug use might cause to lead poisoning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Ghaderi
- Department of Addiction Studies, School of Medical and Clinical Research Development Unit-Matini/Kargarnejad Hospital, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh
- Department of Occupational Health Engineering, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | - Agnieszka Gruszecka-Kosowska
- Department of Environmental Protection, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection, AGH University of Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Krakow, Poland
| | - Fatemeh Alemi
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Pooya Hazegh
- Department of Psychiatry, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Zahra Aghaei
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Nader Molavi
- Department of Addiction Studies, School of Medical and Clinical Research Development Unit-Matini/Kargarnejad Hospital, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Mahdavi
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Neda Vahed
- Department of Addiction Studies, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health (Tehran Institute of Psychiatry), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Somayeh Ghadami Dehkohneh
- Department of Pharmacy, Acharya BM Ready College of Pharmacy, Rajive Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Darpan Das
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
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Fischer B, Jutras-Aswad D, Hall W. Outcomes associated with nonmedical cannabis legalization policy in Canada: taking stock at the 5-year mark. CMAJ 2023; 195:E1351-E1353. [PMID: 37816520 PMCID: PMC10610949 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.230808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Fischer
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (Fischer), Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC; Division of Research and Graduate Studies (Fischer), University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC; Department of Psychiatry (Fischer), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; School of Population Health (Fischer), University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Psychiatry (Fischer), Federal University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology (Jutras-Aswad), Université de Montréal; Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) (Jutras-Aswad), Montréal, Que.; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research (Hall), Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (Fischer), Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC; Division of Research and Graduate Studies (Fischer), University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC; Department of Psychiatry (Fischer), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; School of Population Health (Fischer), University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Psychiatry (Fischer), Federal University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology (Jutras-Aswad), Université de Montréal; Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) (Jutras-Aswad), Montréal, Que.; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research (Hall), Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Wayne Hall
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction (Fischer), Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC; Division of Research and Graduate Studies (Fischer), University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC; Department of Psychiatry (Fischer), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; School of Population Health (Fischer), University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Department of Psychiatry (Fischer), Federal University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology (Jutras-Aswad), Université de Montréal; Research Centre of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM) (Jutras-Aswad), Montréal, Que.; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research (Hall), Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
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Amerio A, Stival C, Bosetti C, Carreras G, Fanucchi T, Gorini G, Lugo A, Pacifici R, Serafini G, Odone A, Gallus S. Cannabis use in repeated representative cross-sectional studies on Italian adults after the COVID-19 pandemic. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:382-388. [PMID: 37418885 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.06.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 yielded dramatic changes in drug consumption. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 6003 Italian adults (18-74 years) in April-May 2020 - reporting information before lockdown and at the time of interview - and two years later (i.e., in February-March 2022). Italian adults using cannabis decreased from 7.0% in pre-pandemic to 5.9% during lockdown (percent change -15.7%) and to 6.7% in 2022 (-4.3%). The reduction was particularly evident among adults aged 55-74 years, whereas cannabis use strongly increased among those aged 18-34 years. In the last period considered (2022), cannabis use was significantly more frequent in men (adjusted odds ratio, OR = 1.43), adults aged 18-34 years (p-trend <0.001), individuals with a low or high level of education (OR = 1.42 and 1.46, respectively), those from Central or Southern Italy/islands (OR = 1.50 and 1.38, respectively), and those with an economic status above the average (OR = 3.07). In 2022, cannabis use was also more frequently reported in current smokers (OR = 3.52), current e-cigarette and heated tobacco product users (OR = 6.09 and 2.94, respectively), individuals with a risky alcohol consumption (OR = 4.60), gamblers (OR = 3.76), those with anxiety and depression (OR = 2.50 and 2.80, respectively), those using psychotropic drugs (OR = 8.96), those with a low quality of life (OR = 1.91), and those sleeping less (OR = 1.42). After the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis use was more frequent in individuals with other addictive behaviours, and with anxiety and depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Chiara Stival
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
| | - Cristina Bosetti
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giulia Carreras
- Oncologic Network, Prevention and Research Institute (ISPRO), Florence, Italy.
| | | | - Giuseppe Gorini
- Oncologic Network, Prevention and Research Institute (ISPRO), Florence, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Lugo
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
| | - Roberta Pacifici
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
| | - Gianluca Serafini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Anna Odone
- Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Silvano Gallus
- Department of Medical Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
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Filipiuc LE, Ştefănescu R, Solcan C, Ciorpac M, Szilagyi A, Cojocaru D, Stanciu GD, Creangă I, Caratașu CC, Ababei DC, Gavrila RE, Timofte AD, Filipiuc SI, Bild V. Acute Toxicity and Pharmacokinetic Profile of an EU-GMP-Certified Cannabis sativa L. in Rodents. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16050694. [PMID: 37242477 DOI: 10.3390/ph16050694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The conundrum of Cannabis sativa's applications for therapeutical purposes is set apart by the hundreds of known and commercially available strains, the social, cultural and historical context, and the legalization of its use for medical purposes in various jurisdictions around the globe. In an era where targeted therapies are continuously being developed and have become the norm, it is imperative to conduct standardized, controlled studies on strains currently cultivated under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification, a standard that guarantees the quality requirements for modern medical and therapeutic use. Thus, the aim of our study is to evaluate the acute toxicity of a 15.6% THC: <1% CBD, EU-GMP certified, Cannabis sativa L. in rodents, following the OECD acute oral toxicity guidelines, and to provide an overview of its pharmacokinetic profile. Groups of healthy female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated orally with a stepwise incremental dose, each step using three animals. The absence or presence of plant-induced mortality in rats dosed at one step determined the next step. For the EU GMP-certified Cannabis sativa L. investigated, we determined an oral LD50 value of over 5000 mg/kg in rats and a human equivalent oral dose of ≈806.45 mg/kg. Additionally, no significant clinical signs of toxicity or gross pathological findings were observed. According to our data, the toxicology, safety and pharmacokinetic profile of the tested EU-GMP-certified Cannabis sativa L. support further investigations through efficacy and chronic toxicity studies in preparation for potential future clinical applications and especially for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leontina-Elena Filipiuc
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Raluca Ştefănescu
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Carmen Solcan
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ion Ionescu de la Brad University of Life Sciences, 700490 Iasi, Romania
| | - Mitică Ciorpac
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Andrei Szilagyi
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Dana Cojocaru
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Gabriela Dumitrita Stanciu
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Ioana Creangă
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Cătălin-Cezar Caratașu
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Daniela-Carmen Ababei
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Roxana-Elena Gavrila
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Andrei-Daniel Timofte
- Histology Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Silviu-Iulian Filipiuc
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
| | - Veronica Bild
- Advanced Research and Development Center for Experimental Medicine (CEMEX), Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
- Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universitatii Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
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Assaf RD, Javanbakht M, Gorbach PM, Arah OA, Shoptaw SJ, Cooper ZD. Puff, Puff, Don't Pass: harm reduction for cannabis use during a viral respiratory pandemic. Harm Reduct J 2023; 20:23. [PMID: 36829150 PMCID: PMC9957690 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-023-00751-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis use social practices often involved sharing prepared cannabis (joints/blunts/cigarettes) and cannabis-related paraphernalia. Previous studies have demonstrated that sharing paraphernalia for cannabis, tobacco, and crack cocaine is a risk factor for respiratory viral and bacterial infections. Although COVID-19 is a respiratory viral infection that spreads through droplets and airborne transmission, it is unclear if many individuals adopted harm reduction practices around sharing cannabis. This study: quantifies the prevalence of sharing prepared non-medical cannabis and cannabis-related paraphernalia reported before and during the pandemic; assesses changes in sharing of non-medical cannabis from before to during the pandemic; assess the association between frequency of non-medical cannabis use and sharing of cannabis during the pandemic; and describes how respondents obtained their cannabis and the reasons for changing their cannabis use during the pandemic to explain differences in sharing patterns. METHODS This cross-sectional study used data collected from an anonymous, US-based web survey on cannabis-related behaviors from August to September 2020 (n = 1833). Participants were included if they reported using a mode of inhalation for non-medical cannabis consumption. We calculated proportional changes in sharing cannabis before/during the COVID-19 pandemic. Associations between frequency of cannabis use and cannabis sharing during the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS Overall, 1,112 participants reported non-medical cannabis use; 925 (83.2%) reported a mode of cannabis inhalation. More respondents reported no sharing during (24.9%) than before the pandemic (12.4%; p < 0.01); less respondents shared most of the time (19.5% before; 11.2% during; p < 0.01) and always during the pandemic (5.2% before; 3.1% during; p < 0.01). After adjusting for covariates, the odds of any sharing during the pandemic for those who reported ≥ weekly cannabis use was 0.53 (95% CI 0.38, 0.75) compared to those who reported ≤ monthly. CONCLUSIONS Sharing of prepared cannabis and cannabis-related paraphernalia decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the pandemic. This finding suggests potential risk mitigation strategies taken by participants for COVID-19 prevention either directly through behavior change or indirectly through adherence to COVID-19 prevention recommendations. Harm reduction messaging around sharing of cannabis during surges of COVID-19 or other respiratory infections may provide benefit in reducing infection among those who use cannabis, especially as cannabis use in the USA continues to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Assaf
- UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Marjan Javanbakht
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pamina M Gorbach
- UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Onyebuchi A Arah
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Statistics, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven J Shoptaw
- Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Family Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ziva D Cooper
- UCLA Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids, Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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