Marijuana Edibles Lead To Hundreds Of Emergency Room Visits, Report Says

With the push for legalized marijuana picking up steam in the area, a new study has found that edibles such as pot brownies or gummy bears may pose more of a health threat compared to smoking or vaping.

Edible marijuana products pose a unique health risk.
Photo Credit: *Daily Voice photo*

Zak Failla

03/31/2019 12:00 p.m.

Cannabis use has been on the rise in Colorado since it was legalized in 2009, according to the new study. While more people have been hospitalized due to inhaling marijuana, the report found that foods containing cannabis extract have led to a different challenge for doctors.

The study - which was published Monday, March 25 in the Annals of Internal Medicine - determined that edibles have led to more hospital visits for psychiatric and cardiovascular symptoms. There have also been three deaths tied to edible marijuana products.

Dr. Andrew Monte, of UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, who was the lead author of the study, stated that “it was hard to know if these were just anecdotes or if there was a true phenomenon.”

According to the Department of Health, the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana - can vary in marijuana edible products. This makes it harder to control how much THC is consumed. The amount of THC in homemade marijuana edibles can vary even more. Some users can be caught off-guard by the stronger potency and longer-lasting effects.

The number of marijuana-related visits tripled between 2012, when the drug became legal, and 2016. More than 10 percent of those visits involved edibles. The study found that between 2014 and 2016, edibles accounted for 238 of the 2,432 cannabis-triggered visits to the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital Emergency Department.

 “Visits attributable to inhaled cannabis are more frequent than those attributable to edible cannabis, although the latter is associated with more acute psychiatric visits and more ED visits than expected,” Monte wrote in his conclusion.

“This research suggests that the slower rate of absorption when consuming edible cannabis makes it harder for users to titrate their desired drug effect. Thus, some users over-consume edible cannabis products, resulting in adverse effects,” he added. “We urge consumers to use cannabis in moderation, use low doses if unfamiliar with a product, and avoid riskier behaviors such as driving after using cannabis.”

Click here to follow Daily Voice North Rockland and receive free news updates.