New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that marijuana-related emergency room (ER) visits among children, teens and young adults rose during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CDC observed data on ER visits from 2019 to 2022 among people under the age 25. In total, there were 539,106 cannabis-involved emergency department (ED) visits during this period in that demographic, with the weekly average of visits rising significantly across younger age groups.
Among children younger than 10, the average number of weekly pot-related ED visits rose from 30.4 in 2020 to 71.5 in 2022, compared to ranging from 18.7 to 23.2 in 2019.
For children aged 11 to 14, the average number of weekly such visits went from 69.8 to 209.3 in the same time frame. In the 15 to 24 year age range, average marijuana-related visits grew from 2,275.8 in 2020 to 2,813.2 in 2021.
“Cannabis-involved ED visits began increasing statistically significantly among all age groups except 15–24 years several years before the pandemic, potentially as a result of expanding state-level policies legalizing cannabis use,” the CDC’s report stated.
“The specific reasons for these increases are unknown, and potential drivers might differ by age.”
Previous research had found that substance use among young people remained largely unchanged during the pandemic despite lockdowns. A study in 2021 found that alcohol and marijuana use among 12th graders did not see significant declines despite reported drops in availability.
A study from 2022 found that pot users were 22 percent more likely to end up in an ER than non-users, with bodily harm being one of the main reasons for such visits.
The CDC noted in its report on Thursday that cannabis-related ED visits remain above pre-pandemic levels.
“These increases might stem from multiple factors, such as increased use as a coping mechanism for pandemic-related stressors, use of highly concentrated THC products, increased availability of cannabis in states with legal marketplaces, and increased unintentional ingestions associated with packaging that is appealing or confusing to youths,” the agency said.
The CDC advised that adults store cannabis products safely and securely in places inaccessible to children to prevent unintentional ingestion.
“To help decrease substance use, communities can implement evidence-based programs to improve coping and problem-solving skills among young people,” the CDC stated.
