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People who regularly use a higher dose of medical drugs, according to a new study.
Researchers in Colorado, where marijuana was legalized in 2012, assessed the medical records of 250 patients, including 25 who regularly used cannabis. Between 2015 and 2017, those patients had an endoscopy, a procedure in which to use a camera to look inside the body.
220.5 percent higher dose of the drug propofol during sedation, compared with those who did not, the data showed. They also needed 14 percent more fentanyl and 19.6 percent more midazolam. The findings were published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Tetrahydrocannabinol, an ingredient in the plant, is known to interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the body, and may affect how such drugs as opioids and benzodiazepines interact with.
As more and more states in the US, the use of cannabis in the United States has spiked by 43 percent between 2007 and 2015. Researchers are working to understand the effects of this change.
The authors noted that their study was limited because of the use of retrospective medical records. Also, it relied on patients being honest about their cannabis use. Because a stigma is associated with the drug, individuals may have underreported.
Mark Twardowski, a doctor of osteopathic medicine and lead author of the study, told Newsweek, "The study opens our eyes to the hidden effects of cannabis. Even though it is now legal in many states and some countries, it is still a substance that has a significant and significant effect on the human body.
The interactions between cannabis and common drugs are extremely important and have not been previously investigated to any significant extent, "he added.
"We were surprised by the extent and consistency of the effect that we had on the use of these drugs. This effect was noted for all three of the common sedation medications used. This is particularly interesting, as the medications are from three different medication classes, "he said. "Cannabis is very poorly studied, and this investigation begins to point out some of the challenges that chronic cannabis use poses."
Twardowski said, "No data exists to my knowledge of the safe dose of cannabis has been determined. Those who choose to use medical care may need to be aware of their medical care, including the doses of medications required to maintain comfort for procedures.
"These increased doses may potentially carry risks. The extremely long half-life of THC in the body suggests that the ability to reverse can be quite some time, possibly even months. "
The study was published as a separate piece of research investigating the effects of cannabis use during pregnancy. Cannabis while pregnant to ease morning sickness could damage the brain of a fetus, warned scientists who had studied the effects in rats.
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