Drug & supplement interaction

Cannabis + Etomidate

Etomidate brand name: Amidate.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated October 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Cannabis has a moderate interaction with Etomidate. Cannabis use might alter the safety and clinical effects of various forms of anesthesia.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Cannabis and Etomidate

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ANESTHESIA

Why this applies to Etomidate

Etomidate falls under ANESTHESIA — the group Cannabis interacts with.

Cannabis use might alter the safety and clinical effects of various forms of anesthesia.
A small clinical study shows that higher doses of propofol may be needed to achieve relaxation and loss of consciousness in chronic cannabis users compared with nonusers. Another small clinical study shows that use of cannabis within 72 hours prior to undergoing surgery requiring atropine anesthesia may increase the risk of sustained postoperative tachycardia. The exact mechanisms of these interactions are unclear. Obtain a patient's history of cannabis use preoperatively and advise patients to discontinue cannabis use for at least 2 weeks prior to undergoing surgery.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Etomidate is one of those quick-acting medicines used to put you under for a procedure, so this isn't something you'd take at home, your anesthesia team handles it. The concern with regular cannabis use is similar to what we've seen with other anesthetics like propofol: people who use cannabis often may need higher or different doses to reach the right level of sedation, and recovery can be a little less predictable.

To be honest, the evidence here is limited and mostly from small studies, and the exact reason isn't well understood. It's not a hard, proven effect for etomidate specifically. The most important thing you can do is tell your anesthesiologist and surgical team honestly about your cannabis use beforehand, including how much and how recently. They may suggest pausing it before surgery. Let them guide that, don't change anything on your own.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Huson HB, Granados TM, Rasko Y. Surgical considerations of marijuana use in elective procedures. Heliyon. 2018;4(9):e00779. PubMed
  2. Goyal H, Awad HH, Ghali JK. Role of cannabis in cardiovascular disorders. J Thorac Dis. 2017;9(7):2079-2092. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Cannabis Also Interacts With Other Medications

Cannabis has 2 major, 1,109 moderate, 25 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Etomidate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 2 Moderate 1,109 Minor 25 No known interaction 1,694 (incl. Etomidate)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Cannabis

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Cannabis. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Cannabis or Etomidate

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Cannabis or Etomidate, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Etomidate

This page covers Cannabis only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Etomidate page lists 5 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Fever Bark (major), Cowhage (moderate), Datura Wrightii (moderate) and Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (thc) (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 4 moderate.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Etomidate page

“Etomidate is not a pill you take at home. It is an intravenous drug used to put you under quickly for surgery or emergency procedures, and that shapes what this short list of five interacting supplements means.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Etomidate interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Cannabis as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 21 real supplement products containing Cannabis, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Cannabis. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Etomidate too, on top of Cannabis — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Cannabis and Etomidate Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Cannabis
Top 25%

#242 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Etomidate
Top half

#1,089 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Cannabis

What is Cannabis?

Cannabis
  • Chronic pain
  • Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy
  • Muscle spasticity (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Sleep problems
  • Appetite stimulation

Cannabis contains many active compounds, mainly THC (which causes a 'high') and CBD (which does not). Some uses, such as chemotherapy-related nausea, certain seizure disorders, and muscle spasticity, have meaningful evidence, while many other popular uses are not well proven. It can cause real side effects and impairment, so talk to your doctor or pharmacist and follow your local laws before using it.

Read the full Cannabis monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Etomidate

What Is Etomidate Used For?

Brand name: Amidate

Etomidate — available as Amidate and under the generic name Etomidate — is given by intravenous (IV) injection to induce general anesthesia before surgery or other procedures. It brings on unconsciousness rapidly, usually within about one minute.

Amidate and etomidate injection products are also used to supplement weaker anesthetic agents, such as nitrous oxide in oxygen, during short operative procedures — for example, dilation and curettage (D&C) or cervical conization. This supplemental use is supported only for adult patients in short procedures; it is not recommended for longer procedures or for pediatric patients.

See full Etomidate drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Cannabis

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Cannabis — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

2Major
1,109Moderate
25Minor
1,693No known interaction
2 Major 1,109 Moderate 25 Minor 1,693 No interaction
Major

2 interactions

Moderate

1,109 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,109 moderate interactions — see all 1,109 on the Cannabis page.

Minor

25 interactions

No interaction 1,693 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Cannabis against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,693 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Cannabis list.

See the full Cannabis interactions page
See every supplement checked against Etomidate, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Cannabis monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Etomidate supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Etomidate, ranked by severity Etomidate drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Cannabis and Etomidate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Cannabis with Etomidate?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Cannabis and Etomidate interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Etomidate and Cannabis?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.