Increases in Cannabis Poisoning Coincide With Drug Legalization: New Study Shows

From The Epoch Times.com (July 29, 2023):

Cases of cannabis poisoning increased after legalization and decriminalization of the drug, according to a new meta-analysis published in the journal, Addiction.

The combined results of thirty studies—which focused on legalization and decriminalization in the United States and Canada—estimate a more than three-fold increased risk of poisoning after it was legalized. Studies specific to children revealed an even higher number with episodes increasing almost four and half times the rate prior to the drug being legal.

“The likely explanation is that legislation has increased the use of cannabis, which has also increased poisoning.” senior author, Dr. Rose Cairns from the University of Sydney, said in a statement.

There’s also the possibility that changing the laws added an element of confusion to the public, Cairns continued. Consumers might assume that if marijuana is legal, it must mean the drug is safe, she said. However, that is far from true.

“Increased availability and use of edibles (gummies and chocolates, for example) appears to be an important driver of the increase in poisonings, particularly among children,” said Cairns. “Edible cannabis has a higher risk of poisoning because people tend to consume larger quantities, and the effects of cannabis take longer to show up when ingested than they do when smoked. This is concerning because edibles are especially attractive to children.”

Cannabis poisoning sets in when smokers inhale too much of the drug too quickly. It also occurs when consumers feast on drug-infused edibles with high concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns symptoms like trouble walking, sitting up or even breathing can come on quickly or slowly depending on the source, and may take hours to subside. In some instances, emergency hospitalization is required.

The CDC also points out that the majority of poisonings are attributed to edibles. For this reason, study authors say children in particular are at greater risk.

The newly released collective evidence adds to an already existing burdensome and dangerous public health issue. Previous estimates from the National Institutes of Health show six out of every 100,000 people in the United States could be hospitalized for cannabis poisoning. [source]

Another article on the danger of cannabis: Cannabis Can Alter DNA: Study