Cannabis ER Visits

Cannabis ER visits rose during the covid hysteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s report found that cannabis-related emergency room (ER) visits rose among children, teens, and young adults. The data stretches from 2019 to 2022 and looks at people under 25.

In total, there were 539,106 cannabis ER visits.

“Cannabis-involved ED visits began increasing statistically significantly among all age groups except 15–24 years several years before the pandemic, potentially as a result of expanding state-level policies legalizing cannabis use,” the CDC’s report says.

Surprisingly, the CDC doesn’t sound dogmatic here. At least not compared to their Canadian counterparts. Canada’s public health busybodies falsely claim a causal link between the “proliferation” of for-profit dispensaries and the hospitalization of children for cannabis.

As we’ve pointed out before, it could be that parents are more willing to admit their child accidentally consumed cannabis now that it’s legal.

So what’s the CDC’s rationale? Is state-level cannabis legalization harming children? Why is it leading to more cannabis ER visits?

“The specific reasons for these increases are unknown, and potential drivers might differ by age,” says the report.

Cannabis ER Visits: Details

The CDC says cannabis ER visits were up for young people during the covid hysteria. Is any of that surprising? Another study found alcohol and cannabis use rates didn’t decline among 12th graders.

When you blast end-of-the-world propaganda and deprive teens of their social life, you tend to create unintended consequences.

But a better question is whether the CDC’s report is even accurate. Consider the following problems with their methodology:

Selection Bias: 

The CDC relies on data from ERs that report to the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP). What if participating ERs differ from non-participating ERs? What about specific patient demographics, geographic locations or other relevant factors? 

Generalizability: 

Because of the above problem, what’s valid for the CDC’s data may not reflect ERs nationwide. The generalizability of the study is called into question. (Admittedly, the CDC does mention this in their “Limitations” subheading. But it’s a section many in the media conveniently gloss over). 

Definition of Cannabis ER Visits: 

The CDC defines a cannabis-involved ER visit based on diagnosis codes and chief complaints. The former may introduce misclassifications, and the latter is too subjective to be helpful. 

Data Validity and Accuracy:

 The CDC assumes its data is valid and accurate. But for each ER, there will be variations in the collection, whether in data quality, completeness, or coding practices that differ from ER to ER. 

Lack of a Control Group: 

This study compares cannabis ER visits between 2019 and 2022 but does not include a control group. Without it, you can’t determine whether the observed changes are attributable to cannabis, legal cannabis edibles, the covid hysteria, or another influential factor. 

Limited Time Frame: 

The CDC looks at data from 2019 and compares it to 2020, 2021, and 2022. This limited time frame tells us nothing comprehensive or long-term about cannabis ER visits. 

The CDC doesn’t account for changes in cannabis consumer patterns during this period. The covid-inspired cannabis bubble is a relevant factor. To ignore it further demonstrates why this study is agenda-driven partisan research masquerading as “science.” 

Cannabis ER Visits: How Useful is the CDC?

The CDC claims to be a “science-based, data-driven, service organization that protects the public’s health.”

But it’s clear they have an anti-cannabis bias. And it’s little wonder why.

The CDC accepts millions of dollars every year through the CDC Foundation. Since being created by Congress in 1995, the nonprofit CDC Foundation has received hundreds of millions from corporations such as Pfizer, Biogen, and Merck.

The CDC, of course, says there’s nothing to see. “Public-private partnerships allow CDC to do more, faster,” CDC’s former director, Tom Frieden, told The BMJ.

But public-private partnerships are just another name for economic fascism. That is the merger of corporate and state power. 

Cannabis consumers have every right to reject the CDC’s biased report. Like their counterparts in Canada, public health is using slanted data on cannabis ER visits to fearmonger.

We’re entrusting our health to people who profit from our sickness.

The CDC is useless, and so is this report.