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Home » Changes in Healthcare Encounter Rates Possibly Related to Cannabis or Alcohol following Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in a Safety-Net Hospital: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Changes in Healthcare Encounter Rates Possibly Related to Cannabis or Alcohol following Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in a Safety-Net Hospital: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Patients with encounters possibly related to cannabis were younger, more likely to be hospitalized and more likely to be admitted to the psychiatric unit than patients with encounters possibly related to alcohol. Initial and sustained effects of encounter rates possibly related to cannabis demonstrated an increased trend in slope before and after recreational marijuana legalization. The slope became more abrupt following legalization with a significant increase in trend during the post-legalization period,,

Conclusions: Additional research should identify patients at highest risk of an adverse health event related to cannabis and quantify costs associated with cannabis-related healthcare delivery.

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