Review of liver transplantation candidacy and outcomes among patients who use cannabis: Is it time for a change in policy?

Abstract

Background: Recreational cannabis was legalized in Canada in 2018. A controversial contraindication for liver transplantation is cannabis. There is currently no consensus regarding cannabis use in liver transplant candidates. We aim to investigate liver transplantation candidacy and outcomes among cannabis users. Methods: English peer-reviewed studies on PubMed and Google Scholar were searched on September 9, 2022, using keywords including “cannabis”, “liver transplantation”, and their synonyms. Titles and abstracts were screened, followed by full texts. Reference lists were reviewed. Studies that investigated liver transplantation candidacy and outcomes among cannabis users were included. Results: The proportion of patients listed for liver transplantation was significantly less among marijuana users than among non-users. Time to listing was longer for marijuana users than non-users. The incidence of delisting was similar. There is an inconsistency between transplant centers regarding transplantation candidacy for marijuana users. While only 14% of Canadian centers had a policy in place and preferred candidates to abstain or decrease marijuana use before transplantation, a third of Canadian centers rejected marijuana users. Observational studies failed to demonstrate significant differences in patient survival between pre-transplantation marijuana users and non-users. However, self-reported mental health ratings were worse in post-transplantation marijuana users than in non-users and former users. Conclusions: Current observational data do not support a link between marijuana use and poor patient survival post-transplantation. However, high-quality prospective studies are needed to better elucidate the impact of marijuana use on liver transplantation outcomes. Liver transplant candidacy should be evaluated through a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach considering all relevant psychosocial factors.