TOPLINE

Individuals with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had a higher risk for all-cause mortality than those without CUD, with notably higher risks from drug overdoses, accidents, and cancer.

METHODOLOGY

• Researchers conducted a matched cohort study using electronic health records from a Colorado-based health system to compare the risk for death between individuals with and without CUD.
• They included 16,693 individuals aged 12 years or older (mean age, 34.8 years; 60.8% males) who received their first CUD diagnosis between 2006 and 2024.
• Individuals with CUD were matched by age and sex to 83,447 individuals without CUD from the same health system.
• Researchers examined all-cause, injury-related, and illness-related mortality.

TAKEAWAY

• Over a median follow-up duration of 7.7 years, 7.2% of individuals with CUD and 3.1% of those without CUD died.
• Individuals with CUD had a higher risk for all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.52; 95% CI, 1.30-1.77), illness-related mortality (aHR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.17-1.67), and injury-related mortality (aHR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.37-2.67) than those without CUD.
• CUD was associated with an elevated risk for death from drug overdoses (aHR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.30-5.19), accidents (aHR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.01-3.80), and cancer (aHR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.20-2.46) but not for death from self-harm, cardiovascular diseases, or respiratory diseases.
• Having another substance use disorder alongside CUD was linked to higher risks for mortality than CUD alone.

IN PRACTICE

"As cannabis use becomes more widespread, public health strategies should include prevention and treatment of CUD along with strategies to reduce mortality from both injuries and chronic diseases among individuals with CUD," the researchers wrote.

SOURCE

The study was led by Anh P. Nguyen, PhD, of Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado in Aurora, Colorado. It was published online on September 28 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

LIMITATIONS

Individuals diagnosed with CUD were included in the study, which may have overrepresented more severe cases. Undiagnosed conditions, substance use below the threshold to qualify as a disorder, and unrecorded tobacco exposure may have influenced the results. The sample mostly came from one insured group of individuals in Colorado.

DISCLOSURES

The study received support from the Kaiser Permanente Colorado Institute for Health Research. The authors reported having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.