Dr. Alijanian and his team always want you to be safe before, during, and after an oral surgery procedure. This blog serves as an informational article that can help you make a better decision regarding marijuana use prior to or after an oral surgery procedure.
Many patients are surprised to learn that marijuana—whether smoked, vaped, or consumed in edible form—can significantly affect your surgery and recovery. Marijuana impacts your heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory system, which may increase the risks associated with anesthesia. In some cases, it can interfere with the effectiveness of medications given during your procedure, making it harder for your surgical team to properly manage pain and sedation.
Your oral surgeon needs to know about marijuana use before surgery.
If you are a regular user of marijuana, you will typically require bigger doses of anesthetic medication to have the same level of sedation. Tell your your oral surgeon how much marijuana you imbibe so your anesthesia levels will be accurate for best results.
Post-surgery, marijuana use can also slow down healing. Smoking or vaping, in particular, reduces oxygen flow and irritates the surgical site, which can increase the risk of complications such as infection, dry socket, or delayed recovery. Even edibles, while not affecting the lungs directly, may interact with prescribed pain medications and cause unwanted side effects like excessive drowsiness, nausea, or increased bleeding risk.
Is Marijuana use before anesthesia is administered dangerous?
Yes, it can impact decreased blood pressure and delayed awakening from anesthesia as well as other side effects. See https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/coming-clean-your-anesthesiologist-needs-to-know-about-marijuana-use-before-surgery-2020011518642
Phone: (877) 649-9457
Email: hhp_info@health.harvard.edu
Are there serious implications of marijuana use before anesthesia?
Yes, abstaining from marijuana use before surgery is crucial.
Why refrain from marijuana before having oral surgery?
Reasons why marijuana use can cause problems when it comes to anesthesia:
- Need more anesthesia to fall and stay asleep
- Experience more pain and requiring opioid pain relievers post-surgery.
- More complications, including low blood pressure and an increased heart rate.
- Edible marijuana products used before anesthesia can lead to serious damage to your lungs just as eating food and drinking can.
For safety’s sake, it is important to refrain from using marijuana before your oral surgery.
Excerpt taken from Partnership Staff – Associate Vice President, Consumer Clinical Content Development
FAQs
Short-Term Effects
If you smoke marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream where chemical travels to the brain and other organs. When eating or drinking marijuana, THC is absorbed more slowly.
Long-Term Effects
Additionally, marijuana impacts brain development which can interfere with thinking, memory, learning functions and impact the brain building connections. Please see the links below for the full article:
Learn More
For more information about marijuana and marijuana use please visit:
Cannabis (Marijuana) DrugFacts | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov)
This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated, using the following language: Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
