Marijuana users are 22% more likely to need emergency care, new study finds

A new study of marijuana posits that its use is not as safe as some make it out to be. The study claims that marijuana users are more likely to be hospitalized and visit emergency rooms compared to non-users.

The study, published in the journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research, was based on self-reports from Canadian residents ages 12 to 65 over a six-year period. After accounting for confounding factors, cannabis users were 22% more likely to visit the emergency room or be hospitalized.

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According to the study’s abstract, its aim was “to assess the association between cannabis use and respiratory emergency (ER) admissions and hospitalizations.” Researchers found no association between cannabis use and respiratory distress, instead finding that people who used cannabis often went to the emergency room for physical injuries.

“Physical injuries were the leading cause of emergency room visits and hospitalizations among cannabis users, closely followed by respiratory reasons,” study author Nicholas Vozoris said in an email exchange with CNN.

“Although no significant association was observed between cannabis use and respiratory-related emergency department visits or hospitalizations, the risk of an equally important morbidity outcome, emergency department visits or hospitalization for all reasons, was significantly greater in cannabis users than in controls,” the research concludes.

Marijuana use has long been associated with slower user reaction times, which is why most experts recommend avoiding the use of heavy machinery or physical tasks that require coordination after using cannabis. This is a legitimate concern, but one that should not be mythologized and disproportionately treated.

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There are many things we don’t know about cannabis, which is why it is becoming a priority for researchers and experts to analyze every possible aspect of the drug and how it might affect the population at large. Still, it’s important not to resort to scaremongering; As we move forward with this new level of cannabis use nationally, the proper authorities should advocate for safe and responsible use of the drug.