We are all sick of talking about it, and we are all sick of hearing about it. However, with the relevant addition of the omicron Covid strain, I wanted to take some time to talk about smoking weed and how it relates to the pandemic. At this point, we have been dealing with the pandemic for about two years. Many people are over talking about it and trying to find ways to deal with it. However, one of the things that this pandemic has shown us is the great demand for marijuana that currently exists in the United States. It’s no secret that demand for weed has grown in the United States over the last few years, but things took a different kind of turn in the face of the pandemic.

In fact, dispensaries have become such an integral part of many people’s lives that the government labeled them as essential businesses to remain open amidst the growing threat of the pandemic. However, we are well on our way through another dangerous strain of Covid, and it is important to recognize some of the health risks associated with smoking weed. Most importantly, the FDA and CDC warned the people who smoke or vape with underlying health conditions may be at a higher risk for Covid-19 complications, and that includes marijuana. All in all, it is suggested that smoking and vaping may lead to worse outcomes for people that get the virus, compared with other patients who do not participate in those things.

However, smoking and vaping are very different things, and the type of underlying conditions that patients who use medical marijuana have can be extremely varied from case to case. It is understood by the medical community that smoking anything, including weed, can lead to some health conditions. This is because our lungs are not really designed to inhale anything besides oxygen. However, it is said that smoking marijuana is significantly less dangerous than smoking tobacco. 

One of the main concerns that we are dealing with in this pandemic is the concept of social isolation. Smoking cannabis is not only something that one can do on their own to help relieve chronic health conditions or mental disorders, but it can also be a great way to gather around and enjoy a company of friends. This has had to change somewhat during the last couple years, as most of us found ourselves alone in our apartments or houses. Not only is it not ideal to hangout with friends or family too often with the risk of spreading or getting the virus, but smoking weed with a group of friends is not really possible to do while staying safe. I mean, you are basically sharing breath with another person, which is a serious safety hazard for spreading or contracting Covid to your friends. So is smoking weed right now okay as long as we don’t do it in a social setting? Perhaps.

But it is also true that smoking cannabis at this time may increase your risk of developing more severe complications if you happen to come down with the Covid-19 virus. As I am writing this in the middle of January in 2022, things are looking pretty bleak for Covid rates in our country. The addition of a new, more spreadable strain, and more relaxed Covid guidelines over the holidays has created a new wave of Covid patients in the United States. While smoking weed can be a good way to relax after work and ease some of the stress related to this pandemic, it can also worsen any potential health conditions that you may have in the face of the virus.