J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2025 Oct 12. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.70058. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence from systematic nationwide studies evaluating the impact of cannabis legalization on cannabis-related exposures among the pediatric population. Using the National Poison Data System (NPDS), we calculated the effects of medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries on reported pediatric cannabis exposures.
METHODS: We analyzed data from 36,161 reported cannabis-related exposures for individuals aged 2-20 between 2016 and 2021, comparing states with and without open medical cannabis dispensaries and states with open recreational cannabis dispensaries to states with open medical cannabis dispensaries. Using a difference-in-difference design, we estimated the effects of cannabis dispensary openings on semi-annual cannabis exposures by age group: young children (2-6 years old), children (7-11), adolescents (12-17), and young adults (18-20).
RESULTS: Patients aged 2-6 (96.3%) and 7-11 (82.4%) frequently incurred unintentional exposures, while patients aged 12-17 (79.9%) and 18-20 (77.5%) more often incurred intentional exposures. Medical cannabis dispensary openings were associated with a 52.3% increase (CI 37.5-67.0; p < .001) in cannabis-related exposure rates in individuals aged 2-6. However, we found a 42.4% decrease (95% CI: -62.2 to -22.6; p < .001) in the number of exposures occurring per 100,000 population when recreational dispensaries opened, relative to states with only medical cannabis dispensaries open. While we did not find statistically significant increases among children aged 7-11 following medical cannabis dispensary openings, we did see a 26.6% (95% CI: -45.1 to -8.1) decrease following recreational cannabis dispensary openings. We did not find statistically significant effects for other age groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate policymakers may need to invest in providing cannabis safety education when medical cannabis dispensaries open to avoid unintended exposures, though some of that effect appears to be mitigated by the time recreational dispensaries (eventually) open. Professionals that provide medical cannabis or provide care in medical cannabis states should consider providing education about how to safely use and store cannabis in the household to prevent cannabis-involved exposures.
PMID:41077545 | DOI:10.1111/jcpp.70058
