(1997) assessed the risk of mortality associated with cannabis use in a cohort of 65,171 individuals ages 15 to 49 years who were enrolled in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program and followed for a mean length of 10 years. 1 A meta-analysis of these studies was not performed consequently, the results of the individual studies are presented below. (2010) conducted a systematic review to determine the association between cannabis use and all-cause mortality in the general population, and they identified two prospective epidemiological cohort studies relevant to this health endpoint. Study limitations and research gaps are noted, and the strength of the available evidence is weighed in five formal conclusions.Ĭalabria et al.
In this chapter, the committee reviews and draws conclusions from the findings of six good- to fair-quality systematic reviews and 18 primary literature articles that best address the committee's research questions of interest. Similarly, research suggesting that cannabis use is linked to mortality could prompt the development of programs to educate health professionals and the general public on the effects of cannabis use and positively influence cannabis-related mortality rates. If research indicates that cannabis use is positively associated with either occupational injury or motor vehicle accidents, evidence-based policies limiting the use of cannabis while driving or in the workplace could potentially reduce the incidence of cannabis-related accidents and injury. Motor vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in the United States, and occupational injuries, especially those that permanently limit an individual's capacity to perform tasks at home and in the workplace, impose substantial economic burdens on workers, employers, and communities.
These health endpoints are distinguished not only by their status as significant public health issues but also by the extent to which directed public health actions and policy changes hold the potential for lessening their detrimental impacts on population health. This chapter discusses the association between cannabis use and all-cause mortality, occupational injury, motor vehicle accidents, and overdose injuries and death. It is unclear whether and how cannabis use is associated with all-cause mortality or with occupational injury.