Impact of Cannabis Use on Inpatient Inflammatory Bowel Disease Outcomes in 2 States Legalizing Recreational Cannabis

Abstract

Background: We evaluated the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on use and inpatient outcomes of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: Hospitalized adult patients in Colorado and Washington before (2011) and after (2015) recreational cannabis legalization were compared by chi-square tests for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables. Multivariable regression models adjusting for demographic data were fit to assess the association of cannabis use with hospital outcomes. Results: Reported cannabis use increased after legalization (1.2% vs 4.2%, P