Two More Studies Link Cannabis Use to Greater Levels of Exercise

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom–In two representative studies published last year, an association was observed that cannabis users have greater levels of physical activity compared to those who did not use cannabis.

Authors of the first study, published in the journal Public Health, assessed the relationship between self-reported cannabis use and physical activity in a nationally representative cohort of nearly 16,000 subjects. They reported, “Those who had ever used cannabis had higher odds of being physically activity compared with those who had not.” Among male subjects, cannabis use was also associated with a greater likelihood of watching television for two or more hours per day.

Authors of the second study, published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse, assessed the link between self-reported cannabis use and exercise in a group of 387 adolescent subjects. They reported that subjects who reported greater levels of exercise at baseline were more likely to report using cannabis in the future.

The findings are consistent with data published last year in the journal Preventive Medicine, which reported, “Marijuana users are equal to or more likely to exercise than non-users.” Authors of the study concluded, “The commonly held perception that marijuana users are largely sedentary is not supported by these data on young and middle-aged adults.”

Other studies assessing marijuana use and exercise frequency have reported similar results, including in older populations. Observational data has similarly identified an association between cannabis use frequency and reduced BMI and lower rates of obesity.

Full text of the study, “Physical activity, sedentary behavior and cannabis use in 15,822 US adults: Cross-sectional analyses from NHANES,” appears in Public Health. Full text of the study, “Exercise, decision-making, and cannabis-related outcomes among adolescents,” appears in Substance Use & Misuse. This article first appeared in NORML.