Can marijuana help with orthopedic surgery?

As people exercise or simply age, injuries and wear and tear on bones occur, leading to orthopedic surgery.

In one study, marijuana use was associated with reduced mortality in patients who underwent total hip, total knee, total shoulder, or traumatic femoral fixation, although the significance of these findings remains unclear. Further research is needed to gain insight into these relationships in a growing surgical population.

Although it is still illegal in Alabama, the state’s researchers provide positive news about cannabis. Scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have published a study showing that cannabis use is associated with a lower risk of death during medical procedures.

We’re not used to hearing things like that. Cannabis users are less likely to die as a result of surgery. Really? Yes. In this case, an enormous amount of data was examined to reach this conclusion.

The hospital records of over 9.5 million patients were evaluated. All patients who had undergone one of five orthopedic surgeries over a four-year period were identified as a sample. Over 26,000 of these patients were also diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. They formed the subgroup and health outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RELATED: Disclosing Marijuana Use Before Surgery: What You Need to Know

Cannabis users were less likely to die in 4 out of 5 procedures. Although the patients were believed to have substance use problems, the herb saved their lives.

Photo by Cavan Images/Getty Images

This is not the first time marijuana has been linked as a prophylactic to protect against death. A University of Arizona study showed that cannabis Users were 40% less likely to die as a result of trauma in the intensive care unit as a non-user. Another study from Colorado examined data from nearly 4 million hospital records. Researchers conclude from this Cannabis users were less likely to die after hospitalization. This was particularly true for cancer patients. Cannabis users also had a lower risk of developing cancer.

Unfortunately, cannabis was also linked to a higher risk of stroke in the hospital. This will likely be an area of ​​research that we will hear a lot more about in the future.

RELATED: Lawmakers in the South still appear concerned about marijuana

Cannabis as a preventative measure to protect patients is not a new idea. European studies have shown that mice given a single dose of THC, just one of the many active ingredients in cannabis, were protected from traumatic brain injury.

If we know that patients who use cannabis are less likely to suffer brain injuries and die in hospital, is it so far-fetched to predict that people will one day use cannabis for prevention? Given the rate at which new, positive research on cannabis therapy is being published, many things that once seemed fantastic are on the table. The little plant called a weed simply refuses to give in.