ER Visits and Hospitalization
CNN: Weed users are nearly 25% more likely to need emergency care and hospitalization
"When compared with people who did not use marijuana, cannabis users were 22% more likely to visit an emergency department or be hospitalized, the study revealed....Heavy use of marijuana by teens and young adults with mood disorders -- such as depression and bipolar disorder -- has been linked to an increased risk of self-harm, suicide attempts and death...in adults, to poor work performance and dangerous driving"
Federal Lawsuit Blames Curaleaf for Death From Undisclosed Amounts of THC in Its CBD Drops
The lawsuit claims that the THC-laden drops, advertised as CBD drops, played a “substantial factor” in Earl Jacobe’s October death.
“[He] believed he was going to die, and experienced strokelike symptoms, and experienced sudden numbness and weakness in the face, arm, and leg, sudden confusion, trouble speaking, and difficulty understanding speech, trouble seeing straight, trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, and lack of coordination,” the lawsuit says. “Mr. Jacobe turned pale, began sweating profusely, and had to be life flighted to the emergency room on two separate occasions. Due to the defendant’s negligence, Mr. Jacobe experienced ongoing psychosis, discomfort, and distress, and interference with life activities.” (SOURCE)
Marijuana is legal both medically and recreationally in California. The legal status of cannabis products has given a false impression that these products are safe. Californians have experienced serious side effects and consequences of cannabis products.
Since legalization of marijuana emergency department visits for cannabis related diagnosis have increased from 2005 to 2019 by 1044%.[1]
In San Diego the number of cannabis related emergency department diagnosis was at 29 visits a day in 2018 and is expected to be 39 visits a day in 2019.[2]
In San Diego, THC is the number one drug found in completed suicides for people under the age of 25, the age of brain growth. Nearly 50% of all teen suicides in San Diego County included THC.[3]
In a surveillance study of urine drug toxicology obtained in a San Diego emergency department, 48% were positive for THC.[4]
The number of patients with Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (vomiting) is increasing. [5]
Many patients in emergency departments across California spend hours and days awaiting mental health disposition, and a significant percentage of them are positive for THC. In a study of 1214 patients with cannabis toxicity showed that most had neuropsychiatric complaints such as anxiety, depression, hallucinations, mania, seizures, psychosis, and paranoia.[6]
The mental health effects of marijuana have led to the United States Surgeon General advisory on marijuana use and the growing brain that includes the risk of early onset psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia.[7]
There are many adverse health effects of marijuana on the body studies in thousands of peer reviewed medical literal, some key studies can be accessed on the library of the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis.[8]
There are risks of pediatric exposure:
In a peer-reviewed scientific article on the topic of Pediatric cannabis single-substance exposures reported to the Michigan poison center from 2008-2019 after medical marijuana legalization.
States, where marijuana was legalized or decriminalized, have continued to show a concomitant rise in pediatric cannabis exposures and increases in emergency department visits or hospitalizations despite attempts to place in opaque, child-resistant packaging. A doubling of events every 2.1 years was seen in Michigan.
In reported single substance exposures to the Michigan poison center, marijuana ingestion was the most common route of exposure (76.8%) with edible products being the most prevalent (69.4%) at a median exposure age of 5 years old.
Both ingestion and inhalational exposures can lead to anxiety, panic attacks, psychosis, altered mental status, dangerous behaviors, and a number of other health and psychiatric effects.
Potential Adverse Drug Events with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Due to Drug–Drug Interactions Use 2020
Sources
[1] 2020 HIDTA California Impact Report
https://www.thenmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CA-MJ-IMPACT-REPORT-2020-FINAL-.pdf
[2] Marijuana Prevention Initiative: 2020 Report. https://www.ccrconsulting.org/media/attachments/2020/05/04/mpi-report-5.4.2020-corrections.pdf
[3] San Diego Medical Examiner Data, 2020.
[4] EDDS Bulletin. Emergency Department Drug Surveillance (EDDS) System. November 2021. Center for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR) at the University of Maryland, College Park.
[6] Leach E. et al. 198 Neuropsychiatric Effects of Cannabis Toxicity in the Emergency Department: A Community-Based Study. Annal of Emergency Medicine, Vol 78, Issue 4, October 1, 2021. https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(21)01050-7/fulltext#relatedArticles
[7] The Surgeon General Advisory on Marijuana and the Developing Brain.
[8] International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis. IASIC1.org