Official says hospitals ready in case of pot-based ER boom
Alberta hospitals are ready for a potential influx of emergency room visits by neophyte cannabis users when recreational use of the drug becomes legal Wednesday, says the province’s deputy chief medical officer of health.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw said while both the short-term and long-term impact of legalization remains unknown, the experience of other jurisdictions like Colorado, which legalized pot in 2014, has created something of a roadmap for the days, weeks and even years ahead.
“We have a bit of a sense of what will happen from other jurisdictions,” she said.
“We know Colorado saw a slight increase in emergency department visits at the start and it levelled off. Although one important difference between Colorado and Canada was that they legalized edible products, and that was a big driver in overdoses, especially for children.”
The federal government will revisit legalizing the sale of marijuana-infused edibles next year.
Hinshaw said despite the previously illicit drug becoming readily accessible, users who are trying it for the first time may not be ready for its side-effects, and even past users who haven’t tried pot for a few years may not be able to handle its increased potency.
Depending on the amount taken, that could lead to some uninitiated users suffering a psychotic episode, exhibiting paranoia or psychosis, or in some cases suffering from cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, which can lead to recurrent nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, Hinshaw said.
Despite the potential for a bump in emergency room visits, Hinshaw said Alberta Health isn’t currently planning on bolstering hospital staff.
“Because of the information we’ve seen, I don’t anticipate we’ll require additional staffing immediately,” she said, adding the provincial ministry will work with Alberta Health Services to respond to any unforeseen impacts that arise from cannabis legalization.
In addition to the potential short-term health risks, Hinshaw warned that studies of cannabis usage over longer periods have exhibited risk for “brain health impairment,” affecting memory and cognitive function in some individuals. Addiction is also a concern for some users, she added.
Another significant danger is the potential “severe” impact on unborn children if cannabis is consumed by pregnant women, Hinshaw said, noting some longterm studies have found some babies could face low birth weight or developmental disorders.
Despite its recreational use no longer being outlawed, Hinshaw said that shouldn’t leave people with the belief cannabis is necessarily safe to consume.
“Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s safe,” she said, noting a recent Statistics Canada survey found just 15 per cent of those surveyed indicated they had consumed pot in the last three months.
“People should remember that it does have risks and there’s no need to try it just because it’s legal.”
Hinshaw said Alberta Health officials will be monitoring the impacts of cannabis legalization and warning potential users to take a cautious approach.
“We definitely need more research on cannabis. We’re looking at it from a risk reduction standpoint,” she said.