The legalisation of cannabis has swept across North America, with Canada, and many U.S states and provinces embracing it’s not only it’s ‘medicinal’ offerings but also recreational use and particularly in the deceptively benign offerings of cannabis edibles. While these growing permission models seem ‘progressive’, the shift has convinced many older adults to open the door of use on this highly engineered and completely unnatural product and explore cannabis.
Not unsurprisingly, unintended harms are emerging – not least a rise in emergency department (ED) visits for cannabis poisoning in this demographic. This article explores the data, explores the reasons behind this phenomenon, and examines the potential consequences for public health.
The Dalgarno Institute presents a synoptic introduction to this growing problem.