Coloradans
are consuming more marijuana than ever, and as research into potential
health effects continues to take shape, concerns are being raised.
The
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) recently
released a new study: “Monitoring Health Concerns Related to Marijuana
in Colorado: 2018.” The report, mandated every two years in the Colorado
Revised Statutes, helps to provide insights into marijuana usage
patterns among Coloradans, emerging research into the drug’s effects and
data surrounding recorded health effects associated the substance.
Marijuana Use Patterns
Relying
primarily on self-reported information from six separate data sources —
including the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the Healthy Kids
Colorado Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System — the
Marijuana Health Monitoring and Research Program at CDPHE was able to
determine significant changes in usage patterns among Coloradans.
The
report revealed that usage rates among adults continue to rise. Adults
who have used marijuana in the past 30 days of taking a survey increased
from 13.6 percent in 2016 to 15.5 percent in 2017, considerably higher
than the national average of 9.5 percent. While usage is highest for
adults aged 18-25 (29.2 percent used over the last 30 days), there were
increases among adults aged 26-34 (19.4 percent in 2016 to 26.4 percent
in 2017) and over 65 (4.2 percent to 5.6 percent). Of note, adult usage
remained considerably higher in men (19.8 percent) than women (11.2
percent). Individuals who identified in the LGBTQ community also
reported significantly higher usage rates (34.7 percent) than those who
identified as heterosexual (14.5).
Daily
or nearly daily usage among adults also increased from 6.4 percent in
2016 to 7.6 percent in 2017, and the data suggests that marijuana users
are increasingly more willing to experiment with different methods of
consumption. While more than 84 percent of users reported smoking
marijuana in the last 30 days, 50 percent reported multiple methods of
use including taking edibles (40.4 percent), vaporizing (29.1 percent)
and dabbing (21.1 percent).
While adult
usage continues to grow, the same can’t be said for adolescents. About
19 percent of Colorado high school students and 5.2 percent of middle
schoolers reported using marijuana 30 days before the survey, a steady
rate compared to 2016 and consistent with the national average.
Despite
relatively inspiring data surrounding adolescent usage, the report
still notes serious concerns regarding marijuana in homes with children.
In 2017, an estimated 11.2 percent of Colorado homes with children
reported marijuana being present, an increase from just 6.9 percent in
2016.
The majority (77 percent) reported safely storing their marijuana
where children couldn’t get it, though CDPHE estimates there are more
than 23,000 homes in the state with children aged 1-14 where the drug is
not safely stored. About 5.5 percent of homes with children reported
marijuana being smoked inside, meaning an estimated 32,800 homes
contained possible secondhand marijuana smoke.
The
data also suggests an education and age discrepancy between women using
marijuana during pregnancy. Pregnant women aged 15-19 had a much higher
usage rate (13.3 percent) than women aged 25-34 (5.3 percent) and 35
and older (3.4 percent). Additionally, women with less than 12 years of
education (10.4 percent) consumed marijuana during pregnancy at a much
higher rate than women with more than 12 years of education (4.8
percent)
Scientific Literature Review
As
part of the report, the Retail Marijuana Public Health Advisory
Committee reviewed scientific literature on the health effects of
marijuana use, breaking down which research areas contain limited to
substantial evidence, along with the areas with significant gaps in
research.
The review showed that
marijuana use during pregnancy and breastfeeding might show a number of
effects on the child in the months or years after birth, including
decreased growth and impaired cognitive function and attention.
Similarly, the report notes that adolescent and young adult users are
more likely to experience psychotic symptoms as adults and suffer from
deficits in learning.
According to the
report, there’s strong evidence linking daily marijuana use with cyclic
vomiting, chronic bronchitis and other respiratory issues. Strong
evidence also shows that daily users are more likely to have impaired
memory after quitting, can experience withdrawal and become addicted to
the substance.
The review also notes a
number of gaps in research, including on the full effects of consumption
while pregnant, long-term health effects of consumption, research on
frequent users’ tolerance and impairment while driving, the effects of
marijuana in interaction with other drugs, marijuana’s links to cancer
and more.
Marijuana-Related Health Effects
Data
in the report from the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center and the
Colorado Hospital Association also helps to shed light on the immediate
health effects of marijuana in Colorado.
Overall,
the number of individuals reporting marijuana exposure to poison
control has been stable since legalization in 2014, though the number of
children unintentionally exposed to the substance continues to creep
upwards from 40 in 2016 to 50 in 2017. More than 65 percent of all
unintentional exposures in children ages 0-8 were caused by edibles.
There
was also a small increase in emergency department visits (measured by
marijuana-related billing codes) from 1,065 per 100,000 visits in 2016,
compared with 1,139 per 100,000 visits in 2017.
Despite the increase,
hospitalizations related to marijuana decreased from 3,517 per 100,000
in 2016 to 3,439 per 100,000 in 2017.
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