Should I tell my doctor I use cannabis?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
Yes: anesthesia dosing runs different in regular users (tell the anesthesiologist - safety, not confession), liver-processing interactions change medication arithmetic, and heavy-use symptom patterns (the hot-shower vomiting cycle is the classic tell) only read correctly with the fact on the table. The protections: HIPAA covers the disclosure - no reporting, no sharing - and substance questions are data to clinicians, judgment-free by professional norm. The one nuance: what enters the record is visible to others with legitimate access - you can ask how it will be noted.
What to do
- Tell the anesthesiologist before any procedure. Dosing depends on it.
- Include edibles and frequency. Form and pattern both matter.
- Add it to the medication list. Interactions live in the full picture.
- Ask how it will be noted if you care. A fair question with a real answer.
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