Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Psychiatry: Risks and Benefits

T o the E ditor : To the excellent review article by Hill et al. titled “Risks and Benefits of Cannabis and Cannabinoids in Psychiatry,” ( 1 ), I would like to add a comment. In the article, Hill et al. discuss cannabis use and its relationship to COVID-19, claiming, “Cannabis smokers are susceptible to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which may cause severe complications of COVID-19 and lead to a higher fatality rate.” They cite a paper by Alqahtani and colleagues ( 2 ) that investigated tobacco smoking among patients with confirmed COVID-19. Therefore, the findings do not necessarily apply to cannabis use.

According to the National Academy of Sciences, it is unclear whether regular cannabis use increases the risk of COPD development or exacerbation ( 3 ). Furthermore, the American Thoracic Society Marijuana Workgroup noted that occasional cannabis smokers had minimal impairment when controlled for tobacco use ( 4 ). I’d like to remind readers that, despite growing public interest, there is still a scarcity of reliable data on the link between cannabis use and COPD.