Marijuana Sending More Kids to the ER: CDC Report

Marijuana

On Thursday the Centers for Disease Control released a report showing the number of children, teens, and young adults sent to the emergency room due to marijuana exposure increased from 2019 to 2022.

The report revealed that marijuana-related ER visits surged more than 200% among children under age 11 during that time.

The CDC report noted,

Among persons aged ≤10 years [10 and under], cannabis-involved ED [emergency department] visit rates during the pandemic far exceeded those preceding the pandemic; these findings are consistent with recent National Poison Data System data demonstrating that from 2017 to 2021, cases of edible cannabis ingestion among children aged <6 years increased by 1,375%, with statistically significant increases in toxicity and severity during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to those observed 2 years earlier.

The CDC’s findings track with other data that we have seen in recent months.

In December, researchers at the Oregon Health and Sciences University found poison center calls due to children exposed to marijuana rose 245% from 2000 – 2020.

Thursday’s CDC report and the OHSU study from December both highlighted the serious threat that marijuana edibles — food or candy laced with marijuana or its psychoactive chemicals like THC — pose to children.

That’s significant, because last month Pulaski County Circuit Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch issued a decision nullifying 27 laws the Arkansas Legislature has enacted since 2017 concerning so-called “medical” marijuana in the state.

The ruling struck down restrictions designed to protect children from dangerous marijuana edibles and marijuana advertising.

Without laws like those, marijuana exposure could send more children to the E.R. in Arkansas.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Another Study Indicates Marijuana is Harmful During Pregnancy

Marijuana

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University published a study this month showing that consuming THC during pregnancy could affect an unborn child’s development.

THC is the primary psychoactive substance found in marijuana.

The study published in the journal Clinical Epigenetic used non-human primates to examine possible long term affects of THC exposure during pregnancy.

Researchers found THC exposure during pregnancy affected genetic development — including genes associated with neurobehavioral disorders like ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers have found time and again that marijuana use is harmful — especially for pregnant women and unborn children.

A 2023 study found marijuana use during pregnancy could decrease a newborn’s birthweight by approximately one-third of a pound — which is a significant amount for a baby.

A 2021 study out of California found infants were 35% more likely to die within a year of birth if their mother used marijuana heavily, and that infants were more likely to be born preterm, have a low birth weight, and be small for their gestational age.

Marijuana use can impair cognitive function, memory, and attention — especially for teens and young adults.

Heavy marijuana use has been found to increase major health risks surrounding elective surgeries.

Research also indicates marijuana use may affect coordination and motor skills — potentially increasing the risk of accidents and injuries.

Marijuana use is scientifically linked to heart diseases, according to the American Heart Association.

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal found adults under age 45 who frequently use marijuana are roughly twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack as adults who do not use marijuana.

Smoking marijuana on a regular basis is associated with chronic cough and phlegm production. The American Lung Association writes simply that, “Smoking marijuana clearly damages the human lung.”

An NIH study published this year found young men who use marijuana heavily are at an increased risk of developing schizophrenia.

A 2022 study published in The Lancet determined that using marijuana with high levels of THC was linked to an increased risk of psychosis.

A 2021 report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found self-harm rates rose 46% among men ages 21 to 39 in states where commercial marijuana sales were legalized.

A 2019 study published in The Lancet found using marijuana with THC levels exceeding 10% increased the odds of a person suffering a psychotic episode.

The list goes on and one.

All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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