Cannabis users may require more anesthesia, preliminary study shows

Marijuana use.
(Image credit: iStock)

People who regularly use cannabis may need up to twice the amount of sedatives that non-users require for medical procedures, a new study shows.

The study, published on Monday in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, tested three common sedation drugs: fentanyl, midazolam, and propofol. Researchers analyzed the medical records of 250 patients who had endoscopic procedures over the course of two years in Colorado, after marijuana use was legalized.

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Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.