Can Marijuana Send You to the ER?

What’s behind more ER visits?

While they cannot say for certain, the authors of the Canadian study say older adults “are at particularly high risk of adverse effects from cannabis due to age-related physiological changes, polypharmacy [taking multiple medications], drug interactions, and multimorbidity,” or having two or more chronic health conditions. They note that the users may also not be getting age-specific dosing instructions.

In an accompanying editorial, geriatricians Lona Mody, M.D., a professor at the University of Michigan, and Sharon K. Inouye, M.D., a professor at Harvard Medical School, suggest older adults may not understand the potency of today’s cannabis products. “Current cannabis is much more potent than in the past. With edible cannabis products, it is difficult to know what is being ingested by patients because active ingredients and doses are not specified,” they write.

Mody and Inouye, who were not part of the research, also note that edibles can be difficult to distinguish from foods that don’t contain cannabis, raising the risk for accidental overconsumption. What's more, older adults using cannabis products may not be consulting their physicians to understand any potential side effects — particularly in combination with other medications they may be taking.

“This study provides a cautionary tale of legalization of substances without adequate research, education, and counseling of users regarding adverse effects and safe usage, particularly in older adults,” Mody and Inouye write. “In addition, instructing older adults to inform and seek advice from their physicians may improve both the effectiveness and safety of use. Likewise, physicians should directly ask their patients about nonmedical cannabis use.”