Anesthésie et cannabis

Patients scheduled for anaesthesia may be abuser or addiction to cannabis. Delta 9-transtetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is the main active agent that induces a psychotropic effect. Cannabinoids also increase heart rate and arterial pressure, induce a bronchodilatation followed by bronchial hyperactivity and may prevent nausea and vomiting. Patients addicted to cannabis must be considered at risk of gastric content inhalation during anaesthetic induction. Acute intoxication reduces, and chronic abuse increases, hypnotic requirement for anaesthetic induction. Cannabinoids have been introduced as adjuvants for chronic pain treatment in patients suffering from cancer or certain neuropathic pain syndromes but their usage remains restricted to a few patients.