The association between cannabis use and adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines: prospective analyses from the French CONSTANCES cohort and SAPRIS survey.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between the frequency of cannabis use and adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines among adults in France between April and October 2020.

METHODS

Data from the CONSTANCES cohort on 39,450 adults participating in the SAPRIS survey were analyzed. The associations between non-adherence to handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing and cannabis use frequency in 2019 at two periods of time, wave 1 + 2 (confinement) and wave 3 (deconfinement), were examined using binary logistic regression. The models were adjusted for age, sex, education, marital status, accommodation, tobacco use, self-rated health, anxiety and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Compared to no cannabis use during the past 12 months, cannabis use less than once per month was negatively associated with handwashing at wave 3 (Odds Ratio [95% Confidence Interval]) 1.46 [1.28-1.66], mask-wearing at wave 1 + 2 (1.26 [1.05-1.52]) and at wave 3 (1.60 [1.35-1.89]) and social distancing at wave 1 + 2 (1.32 [1.16-1.50]) and at wave 3 (1.55[1.32-1.83]). Cannabis use once per month or more was negatively associated with mask-wearing at wave 3 (1.41 [1.11-1.80]) and social distancing at wave 1 + 2 (1.27 [1.06-1.52]) and at wave 3 (1.57 [1.25-1.98]).

CONCLUSION

Cannabis use may be associated with less adherence to COVID-19 public health guidelines.