Researchers examined cannabis use among heroin users over a 20-year period.

With cannabis marketing propaganda proliferating in the commercialized settings, it’s no wonder nearly 44% of US adults think marijuana is safer than tobacco. 

People with heroin dependency don't use less of that drug if they start also using cannabis, according to a new study.

The findings cast some doubt on the idea that cannabis might help people reduce their dependence on opioids, experts say.

"Despite suggestions that cannabis may be used as a method for reducing opioid use, we found no evidence to suggest a relationship between the use of these [substances]," Dr. Jack Wilson, a researcher at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney.

"Increasing the availability of cannabis is unlikely to have an impact one way or the other on the opioid crisis and overdose death rate," said Dr. Andrew Saxon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a member of the American Psychiatric Association's council on addiction psychiatry.

The study found that cannabis use was very common among those who were dependent on heroin. However, there wasn't a consistent relationship between the patterns of use of the two drugs, and no evidence to suggest that cannabis use reduced long-term opioid use.

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A Yale-led analysis of the genomes of more than 1 million people has shed light on the underlying biology of cannabis use disorder and associated risks.

From the abstract: As recreational use of cannabis is being decriminalized in many places and medical use widely sanctioned, there are growing concerns about increases in cannabis use disorder (CanUD), which is associated with numerous medical comorbidities. A genetically informed causal relationship analysis indicated a possible effect of genetic liability for CanUD on lung cancer risk, suggesting potential unanticipated future medical and psychiatric public health consequences.

This study yields new insights into the genetic architecture of CanUD and how this risk interacts with traits crucial to public health and raises important concerns regarding the potential adverse consequences of the secular trend toward increased cannabis use consequent to legalization. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01563-z

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Abstract

Context: Cannabis use among the general population has increased over time, in part due to decriminalization of use and greater social acceptance of cannabis use. These changes have contributed to increased availability of cannabis products, thus raising the likelihood that a subset of adolescent and young adult athletes will use cannabis. Therefore, it is imperative that clinicians and other providers working with young athletes have a thorough understanding of the impact cannabis can have on the athletic performance and overall health of a young athlete.

Survey studies suggest that up to 1 in 4 athletes have used cannabis at least once in the last year. Age, sex, race, sexual orientation, level of competition, and country of residence of an athlete all contribute to differing rates of cannabis use among athletes. The scientific literature does not support using cannabis for athletic performance, and multiple studies have demonstrated notable impairments in objective athletic performance measures. Cannabis use can also negatively impact an athlete’s overall health via cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and mental health symptoms and disorders.

Conclusion: Cannabis use among adolescent and young adult athletes is common, and rates of use are influenced by many different factors. Current evidence suggests that cannabis use can worsen sport performance, negatively impact an athlete’s general health, and contribute to negative mental health outcomes. (Source: Cannabis Use in Adolescent and Young Adult Athletes: A Clinical Review  2023 (sagepub.com)

Marijuana affects many parts of the body. These effects can impact your surgery through the following ways:

• Respiration: Marijuana affects the airways making it harder to place a breathing tube for anesthesia. Marijuana also affects the lungs and can cause wheezing, coughing, and chronic bronchitis.
• Cardiac effects: Marijuana affects heart rate and blood pressure and has the potential to increase risks of a heart attack and/or stroke.
• Pain management: Marijuana may interfere with pain control and the amount of pain medication needed to provide relief following an operation.

You should discuss with your surgical team if you are using any form of marijuana or cannabis products. It can affect the outcome of your surgery. It is recommended to stop using marijuana products 72 hours before surgery.

Their full statement goes into greater detail. https://www.facs.org/for-patients/safe-pain-management/marijuana-and-surgery/

Also see What They Don’t Tell You About Cannabis Before Surgery

Published: October 18, 202 3DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2023.10.009

Highlights

• CBD products may have varying amounts of CBD, varying from none to much more than advertised.
• CBD products may contain other chemicals than CBD, some of which may be harmful.
• 16 RCTs for pain used pharmaceutical CBD in oral, buccal/sublingual, and topical forms.
• 15 of the 16 RCTs were negative: no greater pain-relieving effect for CBD than for placebo.
• Meta-analyses link CBD to increased rates serious adverse events and hepatotoxicity.

 Small clinical trials using verified CBD suggest the drug to be largely benign; while large scale evidence of safety is lacking there is growing evidence linking CBD to increased rates of serious adverse events and hepatotoxicity.

There is no good reason for thinking that CBD relieves pain, but there are good reasons for doubting the contents of CBD products in terms of CBD content and purity.

(for complete research The Journal of Pain – (US Association for Study of Pain, USASP)

Also see 

• Concerns About CBD
• Only Three Cannabinoid Based Medicines Have FDA approval HHC is not one of them.