Maryland has experienced a “significant increase” in cannabis-related emergency department visits, according to the Maryland Department of Health. The health department launched a data dashboard last week to track public health impacts of cannabis and visualize trends pre- and post-marijuana legalization in the state. The state saw an average of 816.
9 emergency department visits related to cannabis per month so far this year, up from 779.7 per month in 2023, according to data from the health department. Recreational marijuana use for adults on July 1, 2023.
That month saw the highest number of cannabis-related ER visits in Maryland since 2019, with 928 visits. Emergency department visits had been rising sharply in the months leading up to legalization, with May 2023 — just two months before the law changed — recording the second-highest total at 914 visits. A year after legalization, July 2024 saw 837 cannabis-related ER visits, according to state data, with the number dropping to 813 visits last month.
The dashboard includes data on emergency department visits, youth and adult use, substance use services and calls to D.C. and Maryland poison centers from 2019 through the current full month.
Each portion of data can also be broken down by age group, race, sex and geographic location. “The new Cannabis Public Health Data Dashboard centralizes the latest data on cannabis use, health outcomes, and trends within the community, allowing for informed decision-making and d.