Risk factors for severe COVID-19 pathology are currently being investigated worldwide. Using a mouse model, we identify heavy alcohol and cannabinoid consumption as risk factors for increased pulmonary pathology in the setting of exposure to a microbial pulmonary pathogen (K. pneumoniae). We present observational evidence that pneumonia patients admitted to North Carolina hospitals have longer lengths of stay when they endorse alcohol use or have conditions considered alcohol-attributable. We are concerned that the observed increase in alcohol and legal cannabinoid sales during lockdown and quarantine may contribute to increased pulmonary pathology among patients who become infected with in COVID-19. Key Points: Heavy alcohol and cannabinoid consumption prior to pneumonia infection resulted in increased severity of disease in mice . Analysis of hospital discharge data shows increased length of stay among alcohol-consuming pneumonia patients. Increased alcohol and cannabis sales during the early months of 2020 suggest that consumption of both substances has increased significantly during the pandemic, potentially representing increased risk of severe COVID-19 mediated by lung inflammation