(Press-News.org) A new meta-analysis (an analysis of past research) published by the scientific journal Addiction has found that cannabis legalisation is associated with increased rates of cannabis poisoning. The risk of cannabis poisoning was higher among studies that focused on children.
Cannabis poisoning occurs when too much cannabis is consumed at one time. The effects of cannabis poisoning include lethargy, drowsiness, dizziness, hypertension, palpitations, tachycardia (elevated heart rate), nausea, vomiting, irritability, agitation, coma, and slowing of the central nervous system. Cannabis use in children (usually inadvertent) is of particular concern as children have the potential for severe toxicity, including coma and neurological and cardiovascular effects.
The analysis pooled the results of 30 studies, including ten abstracts from major clinical toxicology conferences. The studies reported a general rise in the rate of cannabis poisoning after cannabis legalisation or decriminalisation. However, results among the studies are highly heterogenous, and most of the evidence comes from the USA and Canada, which might not apply in other countries that have legalised or decriminalised cannabis. Studies that focused on the medical use of cannabis reported a higher risk of poisoning and were less heterogenous than those that included the recreational use of cannabis. Studies that did not report a statistically significant change for overall poisoning often found increases among subgroups, such as children or intensive care admissions.
Senior author Dr. Rose Cairns, from the University of Sydney, says, “Although the results of the studies are varied, almost all of them point to an increase in cannabis poisoning following a change to cannabis laws. The likely explanation is that legislation has increased the use of cannabis, which has also increased poisoning. For example, the modification of cannabis laws could have increased the perceived acceptability of cannabis use (if it’s legal, it must be safe), thereby increasing use.
“Increased availability and use of edibles (gummies and chocolates, for example) appears to be an important driver of the increase in poisonings, particularly among children. Edible cannabis has a higher risk of poisoning because people tend to consume larger quantities, and the effects of cannabis take longer to show up when ingested than they do when smoked. This is concerning because edibles are especially attractive to children.”
-- Ends –
For editors:
This paper is available Open Access from the Wiley Online Library: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.16280 or by contacting Jean O’Reilly, Editorial Manager, Addiction, jean@addictionjournal.org.
To speak with co-author Professor Nicholas Buckley please contact him via Michelle Blowes, University of Sydney Media and PR Adviser, by email (michelle.blowes@sydney.edu.au) or mobile (+61 (0)478 303 173).
Full citation for article: Allaf S, Lim JS, Buckley NA, and Cairns R. The Impact of Cannabis Legalisation and Decriminalisation on Acute Poisoning: A Systematic Review. Addiction. 2023. DOI: 10.1111/add.16280
Funding: Rose Cairns is supported by an NHMRC Investigator Grant (ID: 1196516), Nicholas Buckley is supported by an NHMRC investigator Grant (ID: 2007726).
Declaration of interests: None.
Addiction is a monthly international scientific journal publishing peer-reviewed research reports on alcohol, substances, tobacco, and gambling as well as editorials and other debate pieces. Owned by the Society for the Study of Addiction, it has been in continuous publication since 1884.
END
Cannabis poisonings rise after legalization, new review concludes
2023-07-27
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New On Our Sleeves® survey highlights top stressors as students prepare to head back to school
2023-07-27
COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 27, 2023) — Preparing to head back to school can be a time of many emotions, from excitement to nerves. But for children who found the previous school year to be challenging, it can be an especially stressful experience.
In a new national survey conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of The On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health, 71% of American parents say their children experienced challenges last school year.
The top factors identified by parents included safety concerns (37%), academic challenges (26%), bullying (24%), ongoing social challenges ...
New research method determines health impacts of heat and air quality
2023-07-27
The planet experienced the hottest day on record earlier this month and climate projections estimate the intensity of heat waves and poor air quality will increase and continue to cause severe impacts. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University have refined and expanded a method of data collection to assess their health impacts.
They discovered that even moderate temperature increases, for example night-time temperatures starting at 18.4 degrees Celsius, can lead to increased hospital ...
A demonstration of substituent effects in anti-aromatic compounds
2023-07-27
Circularly conjugated compounds with 4n+2 pi-electrons are known as aromatic compounds. They are generally stable and are therefore found in our surroundings. On the other hand, anti-aromatic compounds with 4n pi-electrons have been conventionally considered unstable, and the creation of stable anti-aromatic compounds has been one of the challenging issues in organic chemistry. Several studies on the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of stable and clearly anti-aromatic compounds have been reported in recent years. In general, anti-aromatic compounds are considered to be more susceptible to substituents than aromatic compounds because of their narrower HOMO-LUMO gap. However, ...
Older women at risk for Alzheimer’s disease may benefit from yoga
2023-07-27
Kundalini yoga, a form of yoga that focuses on breathing, meditation, and mental visualization, appeared beneficial for older women who had risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and concerns about episodes of memory decline, according to a UCLA Health study.
Researchers at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, using a type of MRI that measures activity in regions and subregions of the brain, found that Kundalini yoga, which combines movement and meditation and focuses on breathing, mantra recitation and mental visualization, increased connectivity in an area of the brain that can be impacted by stress and ...
Cigarette smokers more at risk for tobacco dependence than users of smokeless tobacco or multiple tobacco products
2023-07-27
New York, NY (July 27, 2023) – Cigarette smokers have higher odds of tobacco dependence than those who vape or use a variety of types of tobacco products, according to a Mount Sinai study published in July in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.
The findings suggest that tailored tobacco cessation programs are needed for people with different tobacco use habits. The researchers identified three clear types of tobacco users: those who predominantly smoke cigarettes, those who predominantly use smokeless tobacco, and those who predominantly use a combination of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cigars.
This discovery is important for tailoring tobacco use reduction ...
Identification of genetic drivers for esophageal cancer creates new opportunity for screening, treatment
2023-07-27
Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a highly lethal cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 20 percent. Although a precursor lesion to EAC, called Barrett's esophagus (BE), is present in roughly seven percent of middle-aged adults, less than one percent of BE patients will progress to EAC, making it difficult to determine which individuals are at risk of developing this deadly cancer. To better understand why only a small fraction of individuals with BE develop EAC, investigators from the Mass ...
Medical royal colleges receive millions from drug and medical devices companies
2023-07-27
Royal colleges in the UK have received more than £9 million in marketing payments from drug and medical devices companies since 2015, but do not always disclose the payments publicly, finds an investigation published by The BMJ today.
Investigative journalist Hristio Boytchev asked the colleges to disclose all payments from industry, campaign groups or patient associations, including the specific amount received from each donor, but they all refused to do so.
Instead, data was compiled from Disclosure ...
A third of children with history of social care face school exclusion
2023-07-27
Pupils in state secondary schools in England are much more likely to be excluded if they have a history of receiving social care or special educational needs services, finds a new study by UCL researchers.
The research, published in Child Abuse and Neglect, used anonymised data from the Department for Education’s National Population Database, which covered all children starting state secondary school in September 2011 and 2012 across the country – equating to around one million students.
The team examined the proportion of pupils who had been excluded – either temporarily suspended or permanently expelled – during their time at secondary ...
UC San Diego health among first in nation to perform regenerative brain cell procedure for epilepsy
2023-07-27
In what could lead to a revolutionary advancement in the treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy, UC San Diego Health has become one of the first health systems in the country to inject regenerative cells into the brain to treat epileptic seizures.
Part of a national clinical trial, UC San Diego Health’s multidisciplinary team performed the third ever experimental regenerative brain cell therapy procedure earlier this month. UC San Diego Health is the only nationally designated Level 4 Adult Epilepsy Center in the region.
During the surgery, Sharona ...
AAN issues guidance on new treatments for early Alzheimer’s disease
2023-07-27
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2023
AAN Issues Guidance on New Treatments for Early Alzheimer’s Disease
MINNEAPOLIS – New therapies for early Alzheimer’s disease, monoclonal antibodies that remove amyloid-β plaques in the brain, are bringing hope to people whose lives have been affected by the disease. To help neurologists discuss these therapies with patients and caregivers, the American Academy of Neurology has developed an Emerging Issues in Neurology article, published online on July 26, 2023, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Emerging Issues in Neurology articles are designed ...