NEW YORK POST –
Heavy marijuana users who are also vaccinated may be more susceptible to breakthrough cases of COVID-19, a new study found.
The study, published last Tuesday in World Psychology, found that those with a substance use disorder (SUD) — a dependence on marijuana, alcohol, cocaine, opioids and tobacco — were more likely to contract the coronavirus after receiving both of their vaccination shots.
Those without an SUD saw a 3.6 percent rate of breakthrough infections, compared to a 7 percent rate in those with an SUD.
At 7.8 percent, those with marijuana use disorder were most at risk for breakthrough infections, the study found.
Among other substances, the risk disappeared when considering issues such as underlying health conditions and socioeconomic status.
“Additional variables, such as behavioral factors or adverse effects of cannabis on pulmonary and immune function, could contribute to the higher risk for breakthrough infection in this group.”
Marijuana advocates said the study did not show that marijuana could be a cause in breakthrough cases, also noting that most marijuana users are not dependent on the drug.
“This study is limited to people with ‘substance use disorder’ which is a very small subset of cannabis consumers,” Morgan Fox, media relations director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, told Newsweek.
