United States – A recent comprehensive study conducted in Canada has brought to light a concerning trend: with recent changes in the drug legislation and allowing the use of cannabinoids, particularly edible forms, research into health effects of legalizing cannabis has revealed a significant increase of ED visits among elderly patients, as reported by HealthDay.
Health Outcomes
Led by Dr. Nathan Stall of Sinai Health and the University Health Network in Toronto, the study meticulously analyzed data from the Ontario Ministry of Health to assess admissions for cannabis poisoning among older adults over three distinct time periods, providing valuable insights into the evolving landscape of cannabis use and its implications for public health.
Edibles Legalization Corresponds to Emergency Visits Surge
According to the data, there has been an increase in the number of calls to emergency services after the legalization of cannabis and especially when edibles became legal. Althought he total rate of emergency calls has been shown to increase twofold during the first year of legalization, the sharp increase was observed after the inception of edibles, a highly potent form of consuming cannabis.
Uncertainty Surrounding Edibles’ Role
Despite the clear correlation between the rise in cannabis poisonings and the availability of edibles, questions remain about the extent to which edibles specifically contributed to these incidents. However, the study highlights the heightened risk of accidental consumption associated with edibles, particularly among older adults who may be more susceptible to adverse effects due to age-related factors and pre-existing health conditions.
Unique Risks for Older Adults
Stall and his co-authors have thus highlighted the higher risk of older Australians in the adverse effects of cannabis, including age, drug interaction, and multimorbidity. Cassidy et al. stressed that it is crucial for the jurisdictions where cannabis has been legalized to introduce interventions which will limit the elderly’s accidental marijuana consumption, such as creating specific dosage recommendations for the older people and raising public awareness, as reported by HealthDay.
Calls for Action
As cannabis use and legalization increasingly become the norm in many jurisdictions, there is a severe lack of timely and effective policy measures and prevention strategies among older adults who are prone to use cannabis in one way or another. It can be identified that following the principles of harm minimisation and public health enhancement it is possible to strive for safer use of cannabis and to prevent endangering the vulnerable population groups in the society.