Researchers affiliated with Houston’s Methodist Hospital, Department of Otolaryngology, examined the link between recreational cannabis use and sinonasal disorders. The research team anticipated a greater association with sinonasal disease risk, given the known harmful effects of tobacco on sinonasal tissue. However, they found that certain user cohorts were almost half as likely to develop sinonasal disease as non-users. The findings, published in Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, shed light on why cannabis users are far less likely than non-users to develop sinonasal diseases.
Inflammation of the nose’s mucous membrane lining known as chronic rhinitis affects approximately 25% of the world’s population. Rhinitis lasts 12 or more weeks and can be caused by allergies, asthma, or medications.
The researchers assessed rates of chronic rhinitis (CR), chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), and allergic rhinitis (AR) in a nationally representative sample of 25,164 cannabis users and 113,418 matched controls. They used data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) AllOfUs database to analyze patient surveys assessing cannabis usage frequency (lifetime never, monthly, weekly, or daily within the past 3 months) and consumption route (smoking or non-smoking).
The researchers matched cannabis users to non-users based on demographics, insurance, and healthcare visit frequency. They also classified users into usage frequency subgroups: once or twice, monthly, weekly, or daily. The team then conducted a logistic regression model to calculate odds ratios of developing AR, CRS, or CR and used Cox regression hazard ratios to determine consumption routes.
The findings indicated that participants who consumed cannabis were less likely than non-users to experience sinonasal symptoms. In addition, more frequent consumers demonstrated the lowest risk regardless of whether the participants smoked cannabis or orally ingested cannabis edibles and other cannabis products.
The study provides a valuable foundation for further research on the impact of cannabis use on sinonasal health. The researchers hope that these findings will encourage further research into the potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms underlying cannabinoid receptor signaling.
Sources: Johns Hopkins Medicine, Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, NORML
