The previous editorial in JOI 48(6) provided statistics on the use Cannabis (marijuana) and how to peri-operatively manage the patient who is an occasional or chronic marijuana user. This Editorial will review the short- and long-term effects of Cannabis (marijuana) on peri-operative sedation, sympathetic drug interactions, patient stress reactions, immune response, periodontal disease, bone-to-implant contact (BIC) changes, and bone mineral density (BMD) effects.
Marijuana effects the central nervous system (CNS) in multiple ways in a dose-dependent manner that often leads to unpredictable or bizarre reactions. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway in the CNS is affected by cannabinoids. Marijuana increases dopamine signals at cannabinoid receptors, which results in the neural processing of reward, habit formation, and altered cognition.1 Within minutes of inhaling marijuana smoke, the typical user reports feelings of euphoria, uncontrollable laughter, depersonalization, alterations in judgment of time and space, and sharpened vision. Mild visual hallucinations may occur, particularly when...
