Marijuana Users More Likely to Need Emergency Care and Hospitalization, Study Finds

A new study suggests recreational marijuana smokers may be at an increased risk of needing emergency room care or hospitalization compared with those who do not use cannabis.

Canadian researchers behind the study published in BMJ Open Respiratory Research compared health data from nearly 4,800 people who reported using marijuana in the preceding 12 months with data from 10,000 people who don’t use.

The goal of the study was to examine whether there was a link between marijuana use and respiratory-related hospitalizations or emergency room visits. While researchers found no strong association with marijuana use and respiratory-related hospital visits and deaths, they found overall visits to emergency rooms and hospitalizations for any reason was higher among those who used marijuana. The analysis was adjusted for 31 other confounding factors, such as physical and mental health diseases, tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use.

Cannabis users were 22 percent more likely than those who don’t use to land in the emergency room or become hospitalized for any reason, suggesting use of the drug may be associated with negative health outcomes. Bodily injury was the top reason for emergency department visits and hospitalizations among marijuana users, while respiratory issues came in second. (Read more from “Marijuana Users More Likely to Need Emergency Care and Hospitalization, Study Finds” HERE)

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