Heart transplant programs disagree on how to handle cannabis use, with state legality shaping policies
A survey of 140 transplant clinicians found significant disagreement on cannabis policies for heart transplant candidates, with programs in legal states more accepting of cannabis use and more likely to have formal policies.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Whether cannabis was legal in the respondent's state significantly shaped clinical practices. Programs where cannabis was legal were more tolerant of higher use frequencies before listing exclusion (p = 0.033), more supportive of validated screening questionnaires (p = 0.011), and more likely to have formal policies addressing medical cannabis (p = 0.0001). Most clinicians agreed six months of abstinence was sufficient before listing.
Key Numbers
140 clinicians; 41.4% cardiologists; significant differences by state legality for: acceptable use frequency (p = 0.033), screening questionnaire utility (p = 0.011), program allows prescribed cannabis (p < 0.0001), formal policy exists (p = 0.0001); most agreed on 6 months abstinence
How They Did This
Web-based survey of 140 clinicians involved in heart transplant care (cardiologists 41.4%, surgeons 7.1%, pharmacists 9.3%, plus advanced practice providers and coordinators). Responses compared between those in states where cannabis was legal versus illegal.
Why This Research Matters
The lack of consensus on cannabis policies for heart transplant candidates means patients may be denied or accepted for transplant based largely on geography rather than evidence.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis legalization expands, the transplant community needs evidence-based consensus guidelines to prevent geographic lottery in transplant access for cannabis-using patients.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Survey response rate not reported; self-selected respondents may not represent all programs; responses reflect stated practices which may differ from actual behavior; cannot assess patient outcomes associated with different policies
Questions This Raises
- ?Does cannabis use actually affect heart transplant outcomes?
- ?Would standardized national guidelines reduce transplant access inequity for cannabis users?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 140 transplant clinicians surveyed across legal/illegal states
- Evidence Grade:
- Clinician survey providing practice pattern data, but without response rates or patient outcome data to guide evidence-based policy.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study
- Original Title:
- Cannabis use and heart transplant listing: A survey of clinician practices.
- Published In:
- PloS one, 19(12), e0310778 (2024)
- Authors:
- Ilonze, Onyedika J, Knapp, Shannon M, Chernyak, Yelena, Page, Robert L, Boyd, LaKeisha J, Mazimba, Sula, Raman, Subha V, Enyi, Chioma O, Allen, Larry A, Breathett, Khadijah
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05397
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How do transplant programs handle cannabis use differently?
Programs in states where cannabis is legal tolerate higher frequencies of use, are more likely to have formal policies addressing medical cannabis, and are more open to using validated screening tools. Programs where cannabis is illegal are more likely to prohibit pre- and post-transplant cannabis use entirely.
Is there any agreement among transplant programs?
Most clinicians agreed that six months of abstinence from cannabis should be sufficient before being listed for heart transplant. There was also general agreement that a validated cannabis use disorder screening questionnaire would be useful for evaluating transplant eligibility.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05397APA
Ilonze, Onyedika J; Knapp, Shannon M; Chernyak, Yelena; Page, Robert L; Boyd, LaKeisha J; Mazimba, Sula; Raman, Subha V; Enyi, Chioma O; Allen, Larry A; Breathett, Khadijah. (2024). Cannabis use and heart transplant listing: A survey of clinician practices.. PloS one, 19(12), e0310778. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310778
MLA
Ilonze, Onyedika J, et al. "Cannabis use and heart transplant listing: A survey of clinician practices.." PloS one, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310778
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use and heart transplant listing: A survey of clini..." RTHC-05397. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/ilonze-2024-cannabis-use-and-heart
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.