Cannabis linked to fractures and bone disease in new study

People who smoke large amounts of cannabis on a regular basis have reduced bone density and are more prone to fractures, researchers outline in the American Journal of Medicine.

Heavy cannabis users also tend to have a reduced body mass index (BMI) and a lower body weight, which could contribute to bone thinning and leave them at greater risk of osteoporosis in later life.

A team assessed 170 people who regularly smoke cannabis for recreational purposes and compared them with 114 non-users. An X-ray technique measured bone density of participants.

Results

Key findings include:

• Bone density of heavy cannabis users was 5% lower than cigarette smokers who did not use cannabis.
• Fractures were more common in heavy users compared to non-users. Moderate users, however, showed no difference from non-users.
• Heavy cannabis users had a lower body weight and BMI than non-users.

Implications

“We have known for a while that the components of cannabis can affect bone cell function but we had no idea up until now of what this might mean to people who use cannabis on a regular basis,” says lead researcher Prof Stuart Ralston.

“Our research has shown that heavy users of cannabis have quite a large reduction in bone density compared with non-users and there is a real concern that this may put them at increased risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures later in life.”

Click here to read the original research.

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