ER Visits Up in Colorado Due to Marijuana

Cannabis-related hospital visits increased once Colorado made recreational marijuana legal, according to a recent study.

After reviewing the records of nearly 10,000 patients between 2012 and 2016 researchers found the number of marijuana-related visits increased significantly.

While some of the visits were directly related to edibles, the majority of visits were from individuals who had smoked it.

Those visits included heart problems, intoxication, uncontrollable vomiting and in some cases acute psychosis. The study shows that edible marijuana caused more intense psychiatric visits while inhaled marijuana seems to cause more overall ER visits.

Psychosis is defined by Dictionary.com as

 "a mental disorder characterized by symptoms, such as delusions or hallucinations, that indicate impaired contact with reality."

More potent marijuana, a trend that has been continuing for years is partly attributed to the visits but experts disagree about the long-term effects of marijuana on higher brain functions.

Other ingested products that can also cause psychosis include coffee, alcohol, nicotine, and hallucinogens.

Experts seem divided on the actual effects of cannabis and it seems this will be studied and debated for quite a while.