Have You Told Your Doctor About Your Cannabis Consumption?

With the few legalized countries and many weed-friendly states, there’s a quick uprise of cannabis users around the world. And while the international medical sector is booming, so is the recreational market. But with more people smoking cannabis than ever before, is this a concern for doctors and physicians?

Some would say no, as they’ve probably received cannabis first-hand from a direct prescription from their doctor. But let’s shift into the recreational ideologies and how doctors might react to your cannabis use. 

Marijuana users have taken the conversation to Twitter. One Twitter user, @theeashleyray, wrote, “doctor asked me how much weed I smoke a day and when I told him, he pushed his laptop screen down, looked me right in the eyes and said ‘have you ever considered cutting down?'”

Experiences like this are precisely why it isn’t uncommon for cannabis users to keep their smoking under wraps and not inform their doctors. For one thing, the plant is legal, and you have all the freedom to use it however and whenever you please. Other Twitter users had similar experiences, adding that most doctors are still against weed.

User @Chocomerican wrote, “They hate weed and I haven’t met a doctor that hasn’t told me that weed is the worst drug you could ever take.”

This is the core reason why cannabis users don’t open up to their doctors about cannabis use. In the same tweet, he continued, “Yet it got me through most of this pandemic and kept me from panic attacks and suicidal ideation, and I had no problem quitting for other pharmaceutical options.”

Perhaps your doctor has been treating you and your family for years, and they’ve watched you grow up. In this case, that fear of being judged by your physician is amplified tenfold, especially if you feel the doctor might speak with your family about how guiding you off of cannabis would be beneficial for your lung health. 

But, at the end of the day, we still think it’s a wise choice to inform your physician of cannabis use. While it might not be any of their business, it’s their job to ensure we walk out of their office with a healthy body and mind. Perhaps a conversation on why you use the plant might win them over, but don’t shun your doctor for advising you to look after your lung health.