The legalization of cannabis five years ago led to an increase in emergency room visits, doctors noted in a commentary published last week by the Canadian Medical Association journal.
Reviewing studies published in Canada since marijuana was legalized on October 17, 2018, the authors found that cannabis use in the country has changed little, but the soft drug still has a significant impact on the hospital environment.
Thousands of patients in emergency situations
Notably, a study conducted in Ontario and Alberta found a 20% increase in cases of cannabis-related poisoning and disorders. Another study conducted in Ontario shows a 13-fold increase in the number of emergency room visits by people with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which causes nausea and vomiting caused by cannabis.
The number of monthly visits related to this syndrome increased from 0.26 per 100,000 population in Ontario to 3.43 per 100,000 population, which can easily equate to more than 1,000 emergency room visits per month across the country.
Pregnancies, children, accidents
The number of pregnant women who exposed their fetuses to cannabis during pregnancy also doubled, while the number of hospital visits from children who used cannabis tripled.
A study conducted in British Columbia also showed that twice as many traffic accident victims who ended up in the trauma room of the province’s hospitals had THC in their blood. This rate increased from 3.8% of drivers involved in accidents before legalization to 8.6% after legalization.
However, the authors noted benefits of legalizing the drug, particularly in courthouses, where the number of cannabis-related cases fell significantly – by 73% for women and 83% for men.
“If we analyze the facts after five years of legalization, we find that the success of the policy’s objectives is mixed and the benefits appear to be more tangible in the justice system than in health care,” the doctors noted, calling for continued monitoring of the effects of the cannabis law.