Preoperative cannabinoid exposure and postoperative pain: A narrative review
Authors' conclusion
Preoperative cannabis exposure is associated with increased postoperative pain and opioid requirements in some, but not all, surgical contexts.
Study context
- Population
- Surgical patients with preoperative cannabis use, studies published within the past ten years42 studies
- Comparison
- Preoperative cannabis use vs no use
- Outcome
- Postoperative pain and opioid consumption (studies' direction of effect)
Methodological detailssystematic search, narrative synthesis, systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL and Embase, narrative synthesis without pooling
- Systematic search, narrative synthesis
- Systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL and Embase
- Narrative synthesis without pooling
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Higher postoperative pain in cannabis users
- 14 (33.3 %) studies
- No difference in pain
- 10 (23.8 %) studies
- Reduced pain
- 2 (4.8 %) studies
- Pain outcomes not reported
- 16 (38.1 %) studies
- Greater postoperative opioid requirements
- 18 studies (42.9 %)
- No difference in opioid use
- 17 (40.5 %) studies
- Reduced opioid use
- 3 (7.1 %) studies
- Opioid outcomes not reported
- 4 (9.5 %) studies
Further findings
Increased opioid use by surgical specialty (subgroup)
%
- Mixed cohorts reporting increased opioid use
- 90
- Spine populations reporting increased opioid use
- 55
- Arthroplasty studies reporting no difference
- 62
Resuming cannabis after discharge
- Associated with lower persistent opioid use
- Limited, low-certainty evidence
Original publication
Preoperative cannabinoid exposure and postoperative pain: A narrative review. J Clin Anesth. Published 16 December 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →