Cannabis use, oral dysbiosis, and neurological disorders

Amber A Hazzard; Marice McCrorey; Tabinda Salman; Douglas E Johnson; Zhenwu Luo; Xiaoyu Fu; Andrew P Keegan; Andreana Benitez; Sylvia Fitting; Wei Jiang

doi:10.1515/nipt-2024-0012

Cannabis use, oral dysbiosis, and neurological disorders

NeuroImmune Pharm Ther. 2024 Aug 9;3(3-4):183-193. doi: 10.1515/nipt-2024-0012. eCollection 2024 Sep.

Authors

Amber A Hazzard^{1

2}, Marice McCrorey³, Tabinda Salman¹, Douglas E Johnson^{1

2}, Zhenwu Luo¹, Xiaoyu Fu¹, Andrew P Keegan⁴, Andreana Benitez⁵, Sylvia Fitting⁶, Wei Jiang^{1

2

7}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
² Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
³ Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
⁴ Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
⁶ Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁷ Divison of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

Abstract

Cannabis (marijuana) is a leafy plant that has medical, recreational, and other uses. Cannabis is socially accepted and widely used throughout the United States. Though cannabis use is increasingly gaining popularity, studies detail the deleterious effects of chronic cannabis smoking on mental health, as well as the immunosuppressive properties of cannabinoids. Additionally, oral dysbiosis induced by cannabis smoking serves as a novel catalyst for neurological abnormalities, potentially possible through microbial translocation via the oral-brain axis. This review summarizes the effects and link of smoking cannabis on neurological abnormalities, immunity, and oral microbiome.

Keywords: cannabis; central nervous system; dysbiosis; mental health; microbiome.

Publication types

Review