What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: THC.

Where was this research published?

Published in The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse on February 5, 2026.

Cannabis Healthcare Encounters: A Comprehensive National Analysis

Q: What did this research study find?

A comprehensive national study examined **healthcare encounters related to cannabis poisoning** from 2016 to 2020, revealing important insights into substance-related medical incidents. The research tracked *emergency department* (ED) visits and hospitalizations, comparing cannabis with other substa

United States healthcare encounters for poisoning involving cannabis relative to other substances.

The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse • February 5, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

A comprehensive national study examined healthcare encounters related to cannabis poisoning from 2016 to 2020, revealing important insights into substance-related medical incidents. The research tracked emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations, comparing cannabis with other substances like heroin, cocaine, and benzodiazepines. Cannabis-related medical encounters showed a unique pattern, increasing between 2016 and 2019, then slightly decreasing in 2020.

The study found that cannabis poisoning encounters were consistently lower compared to other substances. ED visits for cannabis poisoning peaked at 49,357 in 2019, with a utilization-adjusted prevalence of 102 per 100,000 users. Importantly, cannabis-related medical incidents demonstrated fewer hospital admissions and deaths compared to other substances in 2020, suggesting a potentially lower risk profile for cannabis use.

These findings have significant implications for healthcare policy and public understanding of substance-related risks. The research provides nuanced data about cannabis-related medical encounters, challenging simplistic narratives about cannabis safety while also highlighting the need for continued monitoring and responsible use. The study offers a data-driven approach to understanding the medical implications of cannabis consumption, moving beyond anecdotal evidence to provide empirical insights.

📄 Original Abstract

Background: Despite increases in cannabis-related healthcare encounters, research comparing trends in healthcare encounters involving cannabis poisoning with other substances is limited.Objective: To describe healthcare encounters (emergency department [ED] visits and hospitalizations) for poisonings involving cannabis versus other substances (heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines, alcohol).Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020), and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health to estimate annual national encounters involving poisoning and utilization-adjusted prevalence per 100,000 individuals reporting past-year use of that substance.Results: From 2016 to 2020, encounters involving cannabis poisoning were lower than heroin and benzodiazepines, and utilization-adjusted prevalence was lower than heroin, cocaine, and benzodiazepines. U.S. cannabis poisoning ED visits (2016: 29,050; 2019: 49,357; 2020: 47,655) and hospitalizations (2016: 12,940; 2019: 18,470; 2020: 13,680) increased between 2016 and 2019, and decreased in 2020, whereas most other substances decreased. Utilization-adjusted prevalence of cannabis poisoning ED visits (2016: 77.3 [95%CI, 70.3-84.3]; 2019: 102.0 [95%CI, 94.7-109.2]; 2020: 98.5 [95%CI, 91.0-106.0]) and hospitalizations (2016: 34.4 [95%CI, 32.6-36.3]; 2019: 38.2 [95%CI, 36.4-39.9]; 2020: 28.3 [95%CI, 26.9-29.7]) followed the same pattern, whereas most other substances declined. In 2020, utilization-adjusted prevalence of transfer/hospital admission was lower for single-substance ED visits involving cannabis poisoning than most other substances. Deaths were higher in single-substance hospitalizations for other substances than cannabis in 2020.Conclusions: Healthcare encounters involving cannabis poisoning increased while remaining lower, and having fewer admissions/deaths, than selected, other substances. These findings can inform healthcare policy and prevention strategies for cannabis-related healthcare encounters.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
Published: February 5, 2026
PMID: 41642795
DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2025.2603243

Authors (6)

Saranrat W Conrad Division of Epidemiology, Office of Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Christina R Greene Division of Epidemiology, Office of Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Gerald Dal Pan Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Catherine L Callahan Division of Epidemiology, Office of Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Tamra E Meyer Division of Epidemiology, Office of Pharmacovigilance and Epidemiology, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, United States Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
+1 more authors