Citation
Ferguson, Erin; Mannes, Zachary; & Ennis, Nicole (2019). Marijuana use and c-reactive protein levels: Is marijuana use associated with lower inflammation?. Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction Meeting. Providence, RI.Abstract
Some research suggests that marijuana use facilitates an antiinflammatory response, yet the relationship between marijuana use and C-reactive protein (CRP) remains poorly understood. The present study examined the association between recency of marijuana use and CRP in a nationally representative sample of adults. Data from Waves III and IV (N=13,166) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health was utilized. Past 30 day marijuana use was assessed in Waves III and IV, and past year marijuana use was also assessed in Wave IV. CRP was dichotomized with a cutpoint of 3 mg/L at Wave IV. Logistic regression analyses examined the association between marijuana use and CRP levels. 23.5% and 17.7% of participants reported past 30 day marijuana use at Wave III and Wave IV respectively, and 23.6% of participants reported past year marijuana use during Wave IV. Marijuana use was associated with lower CRP levels (<3 mg/L) in bivariate analyses. However, these associations attenuated after adjusting for relevant covariates, particularly gender, BMI, and anti-inflammatory medication use. Given implications for those using marijuana to provide relief from inflammation, continued research is needed to further elucidate the effect of marijuana use on inflammation and subsequent risk of developing chronic disease.URL
https://addictionpsychology.org/sites/default/files/public/CPA2019_Poster_Abstracts.pdfReference Type
Conference proceedingBook Title
Collaborative Perspectives on Addiction MeetingAuthor(s)
Ferguson, ErinMannes, Zachary
Ennis, Nicole