Cannabis-Related ER Visits and Outpatient Encounters Rose 71% in Five Years

Among 115 million eligible individuals, cannabis-related healthcare encounter rates increased from 44.0 to 75.1 per 10,000 person-years between 2017 and 2022 (p=0.01). The increase occurred across all age groups and was driven by outpatient and emergency department encounters. Surprisingly, differences by state cannabis legal status were not identified.

Descriptive study using administrative claims from four national health insurers contributing to the FDA Sentinel Distributed Database. Cannabis-related encounters were identified using ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes from 2017 to 2022.

This is the largest study of cannabis-related healthcare utilization among working-age adults. The finding that encounter rates increased regardless of state legal status challenges the assumption that legalization is the primary driver of cannabis-related healthcare burden.

Rising cannabis-related healthcare encounters reflect a combination of increased use, higher potency products, reduced stigma, and potentially better clinical documentation. The lack of difference by legal status suggests broader cultural and market forces beyond state-level legalization.

Administrative claims data may undercount cannabis-related encounters due to coding practices. Only commercially insured adults were included, excluding Medicaid, uninsured, and Medicare populations. ICD-10 codes may not capture all cannabis-related healthcare use.