Study finds cannabis involved in most substance-related emergency visits for teens, young adults

A study on substance-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations published Nov. 4 by The American Journal of Psychiatry found that cannabis was involved in most visits by adolescents and young adults, while alcohol made up the majority for older adults. The study examined more than 1.3 million individuals aged 16-64 with at least one substance-related ED visit between January 2016 and December 2023. The data included visits related to opioids, alcohol, cannabis, stimulants and other substances. Researchers found that 84% of adolescents aged 16-18 with a substance-related ED visit or hospitalization had at least one encounter involving cannabis, the highest of any age group. Visits involving cannabis were at 19% for adults aged 55-64, the lowest for any age group. The study found that 33% of adolescents had an emergency encounter involving alcohol, a percentage that rose steadily the higher the age group. For the oldest group, ages 55-64, 70% had an alcohol-related encounter.