Cannabis-Related Hospital Visits in Canada More Than Doubled from 2007 to 2020
Cannabis-attributable hospitalizations rose 120% and ER visits rose 113% in Canada over 13 years, with psychosis and youth intoxication driving much of the increase.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Between 2007 and 2020, cannabis-attributable inpatient hospitalizations increased from 6.4 to 14.0 per 100,000, while ER visits rose from 52.1 to 111.0 per 100,000. Neuropsychiatric conditions, especially psychotic disorders and acute intoxication in children and youth, accounted for a large share of the increase.
Key Numbers
Hospitalizations: 6.4 to 14.0 per 100,000 (120% increase). ER visits: 52.1 to 111.0 per 100,000 (113% increase, with a 12% drop in 2020 likely due to COVID). Key drivers: psychotic disorder hospitalizations and acute intoxication ER visits among children and youth.
How They Did This
Researchers used record-level hospital discharge data with ICD-10 codes across all Canadian provinces and territories from fiscal years 2006/07 to 2020/21. Cannabis-attributable fractions were calculated using prevalence estimates from national surveys combined with relative risk estimates from the literature.
Why This Research Matters
This study provides the most comprehensive Canadian tracking of cannabis-related hospital burden over a period spanning pre- and post-legalization. The sharp rise in youth intoxication cases and psychosis-related hospitalizations highlights specific areas where public health attention may be needed.
The Bigger Picture
Canada legalized recreational cannabis nationally in 2018, making this dataset uniquely valuable for tracking population-level health impacts of legalization. The 2020 dip in ER visits coincided with COVID-19 pandemic effects on healthcare access.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cannabis-attributable fractions rely on published relative risk estimates that may not perfectly reflect the Canadian population. The 2020 data is confounded by COVID-19 effects on both cannabis use patterns and hospital access. The study cannot distinguish between effects of legalization versus broader trends in cannabis use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are post-2020 trends continuing to climb, or did legalization-era increases plateau?
- ?What specific factors are driving pediatric intoxication cases, and are child-resistant packaging laws making a difference?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 120% increase in cannabis-related hospitalizations over 13 years
- Evidence Grade:
- National-level hospital discharge data covering all Canadian provinces and territories over 13 years provides strong population-level evidence, though attributable fraction calculations introduce some estimation uncertainty.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025 with data through 2020.
- Original Title:
- Trends in cannabis-attributable hospitalizations and emergency department visits: data from the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Study (2007-2020).
- Published In:
- Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice, 45(6), 265-276 (2025)
- Authors:
- Malam, Raadiya, MacDonald-Spracklin, Rachael(5), Biggar, Emily, Sherk, Adam, Ziv, Anat, Gabrys, Robert, Wood, Shea, Young, Matthew M, Giwa, Aisha, Sondagar, Chandni, Zhao, Jinhui, Kent, Pamela, Stockwell, Tim
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07025
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Did cannabis legalization in 2018 cause the increase?
The increases were already underway before legalization, but the trend accelerated. The study cannot definitively separate legalization effects from broader increases in cannabis use.
Why did ER visits drop in 2020?
The 12% decline in cannabis-related ER visits in 2020 likely reflects reduced healthcare-seeking during the COVID-19 pandemic rather than a genuine decrease in cannabis harms.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07025APA
Malam, Raadiya; MacDonald-Spracklin, Rachael; Biggar, Emily; Sherk, Adam; Ziv, Anat; Gabrys, Robert; Wood, Shea; Young, Matthew M; Giwa, Aisha; Sondagar, Chandni; Zhao, Jinhui; Kent, Pamela; Stockwell, Tim. (2025). Trends in cannabis-attributable hospitalizations and emergency department visits: data from the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Study (2007-2020).. Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice, 45(6), 265-276. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.45.6.01
MLA
Malam, Raadiya, et al. "Trends in cannabis-attributable hospitalizations and emergency department visits: data from the Canadian Substance Use Costs and Harms Study (2007-2020).." Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.45.6.01
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trends in cannabis-attributable hospitalizations and emergen..." RTHC-07025. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/malam-2025-trends-in-cannabisattributable-hospitalizations
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.