In 2020, Canada legalized the sale of edible cannabis products. Researchers wondered about the impact of legalization on older adults.
Legalization and Emergency Department Visits:
To find out they analyzed data from the Ontario Ministry of Health on emergency visits (JAMA Internal Medicine, May 20, 2024). They reviewed three distinct time frames: prior to legalization, during the initial legalization period and following legalization of edibles.
Over the eight-year period, they found that there were more than 2,000 emergency visits for cannabis poisoning among people 65 and older. Rates of cannabis-related emergencies in this age group were significantly higher in the later time period. Once edible cannabis products were legalized, emergency visits tripled. Symptoms of intoxication include hallucinations, dizziness, problems with balance, nausea and confusion.
Undoubtedly, some older people may have been deliberately treating themselves and miscalculated the dose. In other cases, cannabis ingestion might have been unintentional. In such situations, older people may have consumed cannabis products such as gummies or brownies belonging to a friend or family member. They could have mistaken these cannabis edibles for ordinary treats.
