Cannabis use disorder was 68% more common in pediatric patients hospitalized for prescription opioid overdose
Among 27 million pediatric inpatients, those hospitalized for prescription opioid overdose had 68% higher odds of comorbid cannabis use disorder, with mood disorders present in 44%.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
In 27,444,239 pediatric hospitalizations (NIS database), 10,562 (0.04%) involved prescription opioid overdose. Cannabis use disorder was present in 14.2% of opioid overdose cases and was independently associated with higher hospitalization odds (OR 1.68, CI 1.57-1.81). Adolescents had 10.75 times higher odds than children under 12. Mood disorders (44.3%) and anxiety (14.6%) were the most common comorbidities.
Key Numbers
27.4M hospitalizations; 10,562 opioid overdoses (0.04%); cannabis use disorder OR 1.68; tobacco OR 1.58; opioid use disorder OR 8.79; 44.3% had mood disorders; adolescents OR 10.75 vs children.
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) with 27,444,239 pediatric hospitalizations, using logistic regression to assess associations between substance use disorders and prescription opioid overdose.
Why This Research Matters
Understanding which pediatric patients are at highest risk for opioid overdose helps target prevention. The cannabis-opioid association suggests overlapping vulnerability rather than a gateway effect.
The Bigger Picture
The co-occurrence of cannabis, opioid, and mood disorders in pediatric overdose patients points to shared underlying vulnerability rather than one substance leading to another. This argues for integrated screening and treatment.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative database (ICD codes may underidentify substance use); cross-sectional associations cannot establish temporal order; cannot distinguish recreational from prescription cannabis; database coding limitations for pediatric substance use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does treating cannabis use disorder reduce opioid overdose risk in adolescents?
- ?Should cannabis screening be routine in pediatric patients prescribed opioids?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis use disorder: 68% higher odds in pediatric opioid overdose cases
- Evidence Grade:
- Strong: massive national database with appropriate statistical adjustments.
- Study Age:
- Published 2020.
- Original Title:
- Recreational Cannabis Use and Risk of Prescription Opioid Overdose: Insights from Pediatric Inpatients.
- Published In:
- Cureus, 12(10), e11058 (2020)
- Authors:
- Pankaj, Amaya, Oraka, Kosisochukwu, Caraballo-Rivera, Emmanuelle J, Ahmad, Munazza, Zahid, Shaheer, Munir, Sadaf, Gurumurthy, Gayathri, Okoeguale, Onose, Verma, Shikha, Patel, Rikinkumar S
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02763
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are cannabis-using teens more likely to overdose on opioids?
In this database study, cannabis use disorder was associated with 68% higher odds of prescription opioid overdose hospitalization. However, this likely reflects shared vulnerability rather than cannabis causing opioid use.
What was the most common co-occurring condition?
Mood disorders were present in 44.3% of pediatric opioid overdose cases, making mental health the largest comorbidity, followed by anxiety disorders (14.6%) and cannabis use disorder (14.2%).
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02763APA
Pankaj, Amaya; Oraka, Kosisochukwu; Caraballo-Rivera, Emmanuelle J; Ahmad, Munazza; Zahid, Shaheer; Munir, Sadaf; Gurumurthy, Gayathri; Okoeguale, Onose; Verma, Shikha; Patel, Rikinkumar S. (2020). Recreational Cannabis Use and Risk of Prescription Opioid Overdose: Insights from Pediatric Inpatients.. Cureus, 12(10), e11058. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.11058
MLA
Pankaj, Amaya, et al. "Recreational Cannabis Use and Risk of Prescription Opioid Overdose: Insights from Pediatric Inpatients.." Cureus, 2020. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.11058
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Recreational Cannabis Use and Risk of Prescription Opioid Ov..." RTHC-02763. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/pankaj-2020-recreational-cannabis-use-and
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.