Last updated : December 16, 2024
In the latest edition of the “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR),” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its study on cannabis use among young people.
The news wasn’t good.
According to the report, between 2019 and 2022, there were 540,000 cannabis-related visits to the emergency room nationwide that involved people under the age of 25 years old. Alarmingly, the number of those visits that involved children under the age of ten and between the ages of eleven and fourteen years old increased dramatically. The report also noted that females made trips to the ER more frequently than males toward the end of the focus period.
Numbers don’t lie.
That said, there is no denying the fact that the number of hospital trips increased after 2019. The report targeted the “covid” years as being one of the culprits noting early on that the number of visits to the hospital began rising after lockdowns commenced in 2020. However, the increase strongly suggests to us that it has more to do with the fact that twenty-three states, three U.S. territories, and, our nation’s capital, the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana. Those are included in the thirty-eight states that allow medical marijuana use.
Coping vs higher levels of THC
The report didn’t specifically note the reasons for the increased number of visits, but listed using cannabis to cope with the stress of being locked down and fear of the unknown as a probable link between children, cannabis, and ER visits. It also mentioned the higher potency of THC that cannabis products contain now. Both of these reasons hold weight, however, as stated above, we tend to believe that the latter statement makes a stronger connection relating to emergency room visits.
The fact that people—even young people—use marijuana, and other drugs to cope with uncomfortable situations is undeniable. Moreover, alcohol is easily accessible in many homes. And, unfortunately, we know that using those types of coping mechanisms often leads to a life of addiction. Children and young adults who weren’t allowed to attend classes or socialize with their friends were at risk of suffering from depression and, therefore, may have used drugs or alcohol to ease their feelings of anxiety.
However, even though the situation appeared grim, for the most part, people settled into the “stay at home” routine. Online classes allowed students to interact with teachers and peers, at least periodically. Moreover, this same technology allowed them to engage with peers through phone conversations, texting, gaming, and other online avenues. We’ve all witnessed a gathering of young people—even older adults—where literally everyone is engaged with their phone rather than the others in the room. In fact, that may be the case in your home every evening after supper!
In reality, then, it seems less likely that young people were using marijuana to cope.
Increased levels of THC though
The report does state that the number of emergency room visits with cannabis being listed as the cause began to increase in 2019, which, of course, coincides with marijuana legalization. And, if drugs are available to the public, they’re on the black market too, If you’ve got cash in hand, it’s going to be a done deal. How does marijuana legalization even fit into the picture then?
It boils down to greed.
Those who have a license to grow marijuana to sell in legal dispensaries realize that increasing the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels in cannabis equals a larger profit margin. It’s the element found in cannabis plants that induce psychological effects. It is no wonder growers have teams that are hard at work in that department.
Today, marijuana can be purchased in dispensaries—and on the street with TLC levels listed as up to 18%. Now, compare that with THC levels of 4% back in 1972. That’s when the Potency Monitoring Program began testing marijuana to determine THC levels. They’ve increased steadily ever since.
The breakdown
Some studies, such as the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future Survey, report that marijuana use was down among 8th to 12th graders between the years of 2019 and 2022. If that’s the case, we need to assume that the higher concentrations of THC found in marijuana and all related products are affecting children adversely.
According to Doug Rhehler, epidemiologist, CDC’s Injury Center, “When youth do consume cannabis, they were getting more intoxicated.” This makes sense considering the spin-off products which concentrate THC levels even further, such as dabbing or vaping, for instance. Both are considered to be extremely trendy among teens and young adults.
Emergency room visits report that symptoms of “acute cannabis exposures” included:
- Tachycardia
- Bradycardia
- Hypertension
- Hypotension
- Hypoxemia
- Anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Agitation
- Irritability
- Aggression
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Psychosis
- Impaired coordination
- Speech abnormality
- Confusion
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Numbness or tingling
- Euphoria
- Headaches
Anxiety, paranoia, and panic attacks were reported by 38% of patients.
Nobody’s ever OD’d on pot
In view of the fact that people of all ages are showing up at emergency rooms and urgent care facilities because they used some form of cannabis is cause for concern. The fact is we have no idea how much THC is too much THC and waiting until someone does overdose because of it is unacceptable.
Restrictions need to be put in place. Studies need to be completed. The list could go on.
Society has come to recognize cannabis as a harmless drug but increasing numbers of children and adults who are heading for emergency treatment point to the opposite. We need to be diligent in insisting that we find out more regarding the effect that high levels of THC have on the human body.
Before we find out the hard way.
