Medical cannabis patients showed a brief spike then slight decrease in healthcare visits over 6 months
In a matched cohort study of 9,925 medical cannabis patients and 17,732 controls in Ontario, medical cannabis authorization was followed by a brief initial increase in healthcare visits that faded over six months.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Medical cannabis patients had a short-term increase in physician visits and hospitalizations within the first month, but these differences were not statistically significant over the 6-month follow-up. Emergency department visits showed a slight but significant decrease.
Key Numbers
9,925 medical cannabis patients matched with 17,732 controls. Initial increase: 4,330 additional physician visits per 10,000 patients in the first month. ED visits decreased by 19 per 10,000 patients over follow-up (p=0.014).
How They Did This
Matched cohort study comparing 9,925 medical cannabis patients (inhaled or oral) at specialized clinics with 17,732 non-authorized controls in Ontario (2014-2017). Interrupted time series and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were used.
Why This Research Matters
This large real-world study provides reassurance that medical cannabis authorization does not lead to sustained increases in healthcare system burden and may even modestly reduce emergency department visits.
The Bigger Picture
The brief initial increase likely reflects appropriate medical monitoring of new cannabis patients, while the subsequent stabilization and slight ED reduction suggest medical cannabis does not create long-term healthcare system strain.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Six-month follow-up is relatively short. The study could not assess why patients used healthcare services or whether cannabis replaced other treatments. Selection bias is possible since patients who seek medical cannabis may differ from controls.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does the slight ED reduction persist beyond six months?
- ?What drives the initial spike in healthcare use, and is it primarily monitoring visits?
- ?Would longer follow-up reveal different patterns?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- ED visits decreased by 19 per 10,000 patients over 6 months
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: large matched cohort with interrupted time series analysis, though limited by 6-month follow-up.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2020 in Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
- Original Title:
- Cohort study of medical cannabis authorisation and healthcare utilisation in 2014-2017 in Ontario, Canada.
- Published In:
- Journal of epidemiology and community health, 74(3), 299-304 (2020)
- Authors:
- Eurich, Dean, Lee, Cerina(7), Zongo, Arsene(7), Minhas-Sandhu, Jasjett K, Hanlon, John G, Hyshka, Elaine, Dyck, Jason
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02542
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Did medical cannabis increase hospital use?
There was a brief initial increase in hospitalizations within the first month, but this was not statistically significant over the 6-month follow-up period. Emergency department visits actually showed a slight decrease.
Why would there be an initial spike in visits?
The authors suggest this likely reflects appropriate follow-up monitoring as patients begin medical cannabis use. This initial increase is expected and did not persist.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02542APA
Eurich, Dean; Lee, Cerina; Zongo, Arsene; Minhas-Sandhu, Jasjett K; Hanlon, John G; Hyshka, Elaine; Dyck, Jason. (2020). Cohort study of medical cannabis authorisation and healthcare utilisation in 2014-2017 in Ontario, Canada.. Journal of epidemiology and community health, 74(3), 299-304. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-212438
MLA
Eurich, Dean, et al. "Cohort study of medical cannabis authorisation and healthcare utilisation in 2014-2017 in Ontario, Canada.." Journal of epidemiology and community health, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-212438
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cohort study of medical cannabis authorisation and healthcar..." RTHC-02542. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/eurich-2020-cohort-study-of-medical
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.