British Medical Journal — MedicalXPress, 27 June 2022
Recreational cannabis use is linked to a heightened risk of emergency care and hospital admission for any cause, finds research published in the open-access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research. The Canadian researchers looked at potential associations between use of the drug and serious illness, as indicated by numbers of emergency room visits or hospital admissions for respiratory health reasons. They linked national health survey and health records data for 35,114 Ontario residents aged 12 to 65, spanning January 2009 to December 2015. Those who admitted to cannabis use within the previous 12 months (4,087) were matched to people who said they had never used it (10,395), taking account of 31 factors including physical and mental health conditions, tobacco smoking history, problem drinking and other substance misuse, and previous lung function testing.
Analysis of the data showed that the overall odds of dying from any cause and an emergency room visit or hospital admission for a respiratory issue did not differ significantly between the two groups. However, cannabis users had significantly greater odds (22%) of an emergency room visit or hospital admission for any cause — with respiratory health reasons being the second most common cause (14%) after acute trauma (15%). This is an observational study and as such cannot establish cause. The researchers also acknowledged they were not able to differentiate between medical and recreational cannabis use, potency and quantity, or whether cannabis was eaten or smoked. “Our results suggest that cannabis use is associated with increased risk for serious adverse health events, and therefore, its recreational consumption in the general population should be discouraged,” the researchers concluded.