Injuries related to cannabis expected to spike

Albertans can expect a rise in cannabis-related injuries once legalization is implemented this summer, says a recently released report by The Injury Prevention Centre (IPC).

The Alberta Health-funded organization, which is located at the University of Alberta, is calling on the province to help mitigate the risk of preventable injuries, including traffic fatalities, child poisoning, burns and other general injuries due to cannabis impairment.

The report primarily cites injury rates in the states of Washington and Colorado, where recreational marijuana was first legalized in 2012.

IMPAIRED DRIVING

When looking at driving fatalities, the report says after legalization in Colorado and Washington, fatalities rose to 94 in 2015 from 49 in 2010 in Colorado, and to 85 from 40 in Washington, and that Alberta can expect similar changes when new laws take effect.

The report recommends the province impose similar sanctions used against alcohol-impaired drivers, including issuing 24-hour licence suspensions and fines escalating with subsequent violations.

It also calls for zero tolerance for any drivers with a graduated driver’s licence, increased penalties for drivers who show impairment from both alcohol and cannabis, and support for public education on cannabis-impaired driving.

CANNABIS POISONING

Following marijuana legalization in Colorado, unintentional exposure to cannabis by children (aged zero to nine) increased to 47 in 2015 from five in 2005, the report cites. Of those, 15 per cent of cases were admitted to an intensive care unit. Forty-eight per cent of cases involved edible products such as cookies, brownies, cake, candies and popcorn.

The report recommends the province uphold federal legislation regarding packaging restrictions, mandate warning signage in cannabis stores regarding child poisoning, and support public education on cannabis poisoning.

COMBUSTIBLE SOLVENT HASH OIL

Following the legalization of medical marijuana in 2008, Colorado saw an increase in the number of hydrocarbon burns due to the extraction of hash oil from cannabis. Between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2013, 19 cases of hydrocarbon burns were reported. In 2014, an additional 12 cases were reported in the first eight months.

The average hospital stay to treat these burns was 10 days. Ninetysix per cent of patients had “upper extremity burns,” while 68 per cent of people experienced burns to the head and neck. Intubation, skin grafts, and surgical fracture repair were procedures required to treat the injuries, the report cites.

The report has been submitted to the province for consideration in developing the Alberta Cannabis Framework.