Pubdate: Thu, 25 Feb 2016
Source: Albuquerque Journal (NM)
Copyright: 2016 The Associated Press
Contact:  http://www.abqjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/10

TOURIST POT COMPLAINTS UP AT COLO. EMERGENCY ROOMS

DENVER - Colorado's tourists aren't just buying weed now that it's 
legal - they're ending up in emergency rooms at rates far higher than 
residents, according to a new study.

Doctors reviewed marijuana-related emergency-room admissions at a 
hospital near Denver International Airport during 2014, when the sale 
of recreational pot became legal. The results were published today in 
the New England Journal of Medicine.

The physicians found that the rate of emergency-room visits possibly 
related to marijuana doubled among out-ofstate residents in the first 
year of recreational pot sales. The rate went from 85 per 10,000 
visits in 2013 to 168 per 10,000 visits in 2014.

Among Colorado residents, the rate of emergency-room visits possibly 
related to cannabis use did not change significantly between 2013 and 
2014. Among Colorado resident emergency-room patients, 106 per 10,000 
visits complained of marijuana-related ailments in 2013 and 112 per 
10,000 visits complained of marijuana-related ailments in 2014.

The difference between tourists and residents played out statewide.

Doctors in the study compared the hospital rates to data from the 
Colorado Hospital Association. That showed the rate among 
out-of-state residents rose from 78 per 10,000 visits in 2012 to 112 
per 10,000 visits in 2013 to 163 per 10,000 visits in 2014. Among 
Colorado residents, the rate of emergency-room visits possibly 
related to cannabis use increased from 61 to 70 to 86 to 101, respectively.

Tourists and Coloradans also had different complaints related to 
marijuana. Coloradans across the time period mostly complained of 
gastrointestinal problems, while the most common ailment by visitors 
was psychiatric, including aggressive behavior and hallucinations.

Men were two to three times more likely than women among both groups 
to complain of cannabis-related ailments in emergency rooms.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom