Cannabis Users Needed More Propofol During Dental Surgery Under General Anesthesia

After adjusting for confounders, cannabis exposure years were significantly associated with total propofol requirements (coefficient = 0.7, 95% CI: 0.07-1.25, p = 0.03). Decision tree analysis stratified patients into high risk (2-3+ years multiple daily use), moderate risk (2-3+ years infrequent use), and low risk (<2-3 years).

Prospective study of 49 patients over age 21 undergoing wisdom tooth removal under IV general anesthesia at University of Washington. Cannabis exposure years (CEY) were calculated from questionnaire responses. Multivariate linear regression and decision tree analysis assessed the association with total propofol use.

This is directly clinically relevant: if cannabis users need more anesthesia, surgeons and anesthesiologists need to plan accordingly. The risk stratification framework offers a practical tool for assessing anesthetic requirements.

As cannabis use becomes more prevalent, understanding its interactions with anesthesia becomes increasingly important for surgical safety. This study adds to growing evidence that chronic cannabis use may alter drug metabolism and receptor sensitivity.

Very small sample (49 patients). Single center. 77.6% of the sample used cannabis, creating an imbalanced comparison. Self-reported cannabis use may be inaccurate. Wisdom tooth extraction is a relatively brief procedure.