Can you Smoke Marijuana Before or After Surgery?

Without any doubt, preparing to get under the knife is a process that can put both your mental and physical health to a test.

Most of us will agree that getting ready for any type of surgical intervention is a serious matter, and it should be treated as such. But can you smoke marijuana before or after surgery? Certainly, surgery is an anxiety-and-stress-laden process. So it may seem like a wise move to turn to cannabis as the most natural treatment available when it comes to reducing stress, wiping away negative thoughts and ultimately, efficiently reducing pain related to surgery. On the bright side, it might actually turn out that smoking marijuana before and/or after surgery can be beneficial to you. However, that’s only in some cases. On the other hand, depending on your particular condition and type of surgery you are about to go through, smoking marijuana can be contradictory to your health. Above all, we do highly encourage you to consult with qualified physicians who can give you the best advice possible on whether or not you can smoke marijuana before or after surgery. In this article, we will list useful, science-backed up guidelines that can be of your further assistance when trying to figure out why and how marijuana can affect before and after surgery-related issues.

Marijuana and Dental Surgery

Consuming marijuana before dental surgery is not recommendable as it can expand your sensory awareness in a way that is contradictory to the medications used by dentists prior to the surgery. As summed up in a study published on the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, “The illicit use of the three main forms of cannabis-marijuana, hash, hash oil-pose certain obstacles and challenges to the dental professional. There are a number of systemic, as well as oral/head and neck manifestations, associated with cannabis use. Dentists need to be aware of these manifestations in order to take whatever precautions and/or modifications to the proposed treatment that might be necessary.” However, serious dental surgery pain that comes afterward can be curbed by medicating with cannabis. Tons of science-backed up research has already proved that marijuana offers an array of antibacterial, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits. With this in mind, marijuana intake after dental surgery can help you stay away from pharmaceutical painkillers that are loaded with non-organic compounds. In fact, according to a breakthrough study conducted by Italian and British scientists titled Antibacterial cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa: a structure-activity study, active cannabinoids destroy harmful bacteria in a different, and ultimately, superior way to man-made antibiotics. Opting for the right strains is crucial, though. It almost goes without saying that strains associated with providing a sharp boost in energy and focus can further exuberate your sensory awareness. But Indica-dominant strains with decent levels of CBD and proven pain-relief properties can actually provide reliable and consistent pain management. This can help you treat issues related to sore, inflamed gums, and nonetheless, issues related to experiencing post-surgery pain on the affected spot where a tooth has been removed or heavily treated. Nonetheless, it is also crucial that you keep in mind some words of caution related to marijuana consumption and dental surgery. Consuming most cannabis strains can lead to experiencing the cottonmouth effect. And while the feeling of dryness in the mouth can be tolerable and easily curbed by keeping yourself well-hydrated, it can be quite bothersome after surgery. Fortunately, you can stay away from the cottonmouth effect by restraining from smoking marijuana in favor of other methods of cannabis consumption such as tinctures and edibles. Boiling a cup of cannatea (cannabis-infused tea) can be a wonderful option, too.

Smoking Marijuana Before Surgery

To start with, most patients arrive at the hospital at least three hours before surgery begins. This rather big time gap can allure you into thinking that if you choose to smoke cannabis before surgery, the effects will be well worn off when the surgery intervention finally takes place. And indeed, whether you smoke cannabis for medical or recreational purposes, the effects typically melt away within up to two hours. However, smoking cannabis can lead to an increase in mucus production(and in particular, increased sputum production)in your respiratory system. Quintessentially, sputum is a type of thick mucus. (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318924.php) The increased sputum production will not fade away as soon as the effects of smoking disappear, though. What’s more, increased mucus/sputum production can become quite an issue once you get under the knife. With this in mind, it is best to avoid smoking marijuana at least six hours before surgery. On another note, experts highly recommend vaporizing as a more non-intrusive method of respiratory marijuana consumption as opposed to smoking. “Since vaporizing has 70% [fewer] irritants than smoking, if a patient wants to use the respiratory method, they should vaporize,” explains Dr. David Bearman who is a co-founder of the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine and author of the book Drugs Are Not The Devil’s Tools.

Edibles and other Methods of Oral Marijuana Consumption Before Surgery

For those who might be tempted to go for consuming marijuana orally before surgery, it is crucial to understand that both smokings, as well as any other method of cannabis intake,  will still alternate your body’s functions for an extended period of time. Keep in mind that in most cases, patients are strictly instructed not to eat anything the night before surgery. That means you can still take marijuana edibles or opt for other oral methods of consumption as long as you restrict from oral administration of the green medication once 10.00 p.m. has passed the night before surgery. Edibles and other forms of oral marijuana administration provide effects that are much more long-lasting than smoking/vaping or any other methods of respiratory cannabis consumption. Typically, the mind-and-body effects of marijuana edibles last from three and up to eight hours – which means that if you stay away from consuming any marijuana-infused treats after 10 p.m. the night before surgery should not interfere negatively with any of the before-surgery precautions.

Can People Suffer from Hypertension Smoke Marijuana Before Surgery?

In a nutshell, hypertension is defined as “abnormally high blood pressure.” As with many things cannabis-related nowadays, sufficient evidence regarding the exact way marijuana affects hypertension sufferers is still lacking. There are studies that point out to the fact marijuana consumption can lead to an increased risk of getting a heart attack. However, there are also studies that point out to the fact marijuana consumption can be actually extremely helpful in lowering high blood pressure and/or limiting the risk of getting a heart attack. Apparently, more research is needed on that note. As a simple summary, experts cannot tell for sure whether marijuana intake will increase the risk of high blood pressure or it will decrease the risk of high blood pressure before surgery –all in all, the effects of cannabis on heart rate are widely variable. There is a whole array of factors that are intricately and intimately related to the way each patient experiences cannabis in terms of heart/blood pressure rates. For instance, age, weight, the type of strain consumed, as well as the current emotional and physical state all play a key role in the complex way marijuana affects the heart. Taking all the variable facts and stats in mind, it’s a safe bet to restrain smoking or ingesting marijuana before surgery. As a rule of thumb, always make sure to inform your physician about your cannabis consumption – especially if you’re a regular cannabis user as this can affect the way further medication prescribed by your doctor works before or after surgery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk50Szx_des Video by C0nc0rdance – Cannabis and the Heart Source: youtube.com

Smoking Marijuana After Surgery

Did you know that back in the 19th-century cannabis was used as a childbirth anesthetic? According to Dr. AnitaHoldcroft who is a lead researcher at the Imperial College London “Pain after surgery continues to be a problem because many of the commonly used drugs are either ineffective or have too many side effects. These results show that cannabinoids are effective [for post-op surgical pain].”However, there are still some exceptions on that note, too, and in particular, as far as smoking marijuana after surgery is involved.

For instance, smoking marijuana after abdominal surgery can be quite contradictory. Excess coughing can lead to an increase in abdominal pressure which can expose your health and post-surgery recovery under serious threats. Because of this, considering other methods of cannabis consumption such as opting for under-the-tongue cannabis-infused spray or tinctures can be a much wiser option. Edibles are yet another better alternative to smoking marijuana to alleviate post-surgery related issues. Then again, if respiratory methods of cannabis consumption are the ones you find most suitable, it would be a much wiser idea to choose to vaporize instead of traditional smoking. But apart from the important considerations, you want to take into account when targeting the treatment of after surgery issues through marijuana consumption are that THC has the highest analgesic properties. Thus, opting for high THC strains can significantly decrease the dosage of pain medication you would otherwise need to administer post-operatively.

Top 5 Post-Op Strains

For instance, AK-47 can be a wonderful strain to use after surgery since it is renowned for its ability to provide ultimate relaxation knocking down pain from head to toe. Meanwhile, Grape Ape can be a wonderful choice for patients who have difficulties falling asleep due to severe pain from surgery. When it comes to post-op patients who dislike the possibly overwhelming sense of high and/or those who have low prudence to THC treatment, Cannatonic can be an excellent choice. If you prefer a strain that doesn’t induce much of the couch-locked effect after consumption but is still capable of providing efficient pain management, then the energy boostingSativa traits of the otherwise Indica-dominant Green Crack can make a great option. For patients suffering from severe post-op nerve pain, Jack Herrer is one of the most often prescribed strains. Of course, keeping in mind that there are thousands of well-working cannabis varieties available nowadays, taking the time to consult with qualified marijuana experts and/or doing your proper research can help you in finding a strain that will be best suited after surgery depending on your personal needs and preferences. Apart from oral and respiratory methods of marijuana consumption after surgery, don’t forget to consider the benefits of applying cannabis-infused ointments to treat the affected post-op spot. Topical marijuana-infused solutions do not come with the high associated with consuming other forms of cannabis. But that definitely doesn’t mean these solutions don’t offer a myriad of therapeutic benefits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVo8K4d7OGo Video by American Cannabis Society – Marijuana Pain Relief: Indica Weed defeats pain from major surgery. Cannabis Works!! Source: youtube.com

Can you Smoke Marijuana Before or After Surgery?

We want to highlight that health should be always looked upon as the absolute top priority of all human beings. As much as health is a priority, it is also a responsibility. And since surgery is a serious matter – even if the type of surgery you are about to undergo is considered only a cosmetic intervention or as much of a non-invasive intervention as possible – that doesn’t mean you can afford to neglect or underestimate the utmost importance of taking the best care for your health. If taking the best care of your health means you need to restrain from marijuana consumption for a particular period – whether this period is only a couple of hours or several days – then you simply have to do what you ought to do, right? On the contrary, if medicating with marijuana before or after surgery can be beneficial depending on your unique case – then you can feel free to smoke or ingest cannabis as needed. And while there is no fit-them-all, straightforward answer on can you smoke marijuana before or after surgery, we do live in an era when the professional guidelines you need can be literally a click/ phone call/ quick car ride away. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay tuned with recent news, science-backed up data and educational tutorials on all things cannabis-related.