States with More Liberal Cannabis Laws Had More Psychosis Hospitalizations
In 2017, the U.S. Pacific census division (where most states legalized recreational cannabis) had 55% higher odds of psychosis-related hospitalizations associated with cannabis use.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
There were an estimated 129,070 hospital discharges for psychosis associated with cannabis in 2017. The Pacific division had 55% higher odds of such discharges (aOR=1.55, 95% CI 1.25-1.93). A cannabis legality score correlated significantly with the proportion of psychosis-cannabis hospitalizations (r=0.67, P<0.05).
Key Numbers
129,070 psychosis-cannabis hospital discharges; Pacific division aOR 1.55; legality-psychosis correlation r=0.67 (P<0.05)
How They Did This
Analysis of the 2017 National Inpatient Sample database using multivariable logistic regression comparing psychosis-cannabis hospitalizations across U.S. census divisions. Cannabis legality scores were population-weighted sums of state-level legal status.
Why This Research Matters
This national-level data provides evidence that more liberal cannabis legalization is associated with more psychosis-related hospitalizations, a finding with direct policy implications.
The Bigger Picture
As more states legalize cannabis, monitoring psychiatric hospitalizations related to cannabis use becomes increasingly important. This geographic variation suggests legalization may have measurable public health impacts on psychosis.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional data from one year. Cannot establish causation. Higher rates in legal states could reflect better detection, more use, higher potency, or other factors. Hospital discharge codes may not accurately capture cannabis involvement.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are the higher rates in legal states driven by increased cannabis use, higher potency products, or more clinicians coding cannabis involvement?
- ?Would longitudinal data show psychosis hospitalizations increasing after legalization?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 55% higher psychosis hospitalization odds in Pacific division
- Evidence Grade:
- National database analysis with multivariate adjustment, but cross-sectional design and potential coding variability limit causal inference.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022
- Original Title:
- Geographical variation in hospitalization for psychosis associated with cannabis use and cannabis legalization in the United States: Submit to: Psychiatry Research.
- Published In:
- Psychiatry research, 308, 114387 (2022)
- Authors:
- Moran, Lauren V(2), Tsang, Erica S, Ongur, Dost(3), Hsu, John, Choi, May Y
- Database ID:
- RTHC-04079
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis legalization increase psychosis hospitalizations?
This study found states with more liberal cannabis laws had significantly higher rates of psychosis-related hospitalizations. The Pacific division (mostly legal states) had 55% higher odds, and cannabis legality correlated with hospitalization rates (r=0.67).
How many people are hospitalized for cannabis-related psychosis?
In 2017, there were an estimated 129,070 hospital discharges for psychosis associated with cannabis use in the United States.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- THC-amygdala-anxiety-brain
- anandamide-weed-withdrawal
- cannabinoid-receptors-recovery-time
- cannabis-developing-brain-teenagers
- cant-enjoy-anything-without-weed
- dopamine-recovery-after-quitting-weed
- endocannabinoid-system-explained-simply
- endocannabinoid-system-withdrawal
- nervous-system-weed-withdrawal-fight-flight
- teen-weed-use-under-18-effects-brain
- thc-brain-withdrawal
- thc-prefrontal-cortex-brain-effects
- weed-cortisol-stress-hormones
- weed-memory-loss-recovery
- weed-motivation-amotivational-syndrome
- weed-nervous-system-effects
- weed-reward-system-brain
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-04079APA
Moran, Lauren V; Tsang, Erica S; Ongur, Dost; Hsu, John; Choi, May Y. (2022). Geographical variation in hospitalization for psychosis associated with cannabis use and cannabis legalization in the United States: Submit to: Psychiatry Research.. Psychiatry research, 308, 114387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114387
MLA
Moran, Lauren V, et al. "Geographical variation in hospitalization for psychosis associated with cannabis use and cannabis legalization in the United States: Submit to: Psychiatry Research.." Psychiatry research, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114387
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Geographical variation in hospitalization for psychosis asso..." RTHC-04079. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/moran-2022-geographical-variation-in-hospitalization
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.