Perioperative Considerations in Patients Who Use Cannabis

CannabisCannabis has become the most commonly used illicit substance under federal law, with over 40 million people having used it as of 2019 (1)thirty percent of users potentially having a cannabis use disorder (CUD) (2), and nearly 15% of patients presenting for non-cardiac surgeryCardiac surgery having reported cannabis useCannabis use (6). Cannabis useCannabis use appears to be associated with systemic physiologic effects including the potential for serious cardiopulmonary complications, increased anesthetic and opioidOpioids requirements, and postoperative withdrawal. There may be a role for use of cannabisCannabis products in the perioperative periodPerioperative period to help optimize these patients, though more rigorous studies need to be performed to support its use in this setting. In this chapter, we summarize recently published papers and society guidelines to inform readers on the perioperative managementPerioperative management of these patients.