The Maryland Department of Health has launched a tool that graphs the public health impacts of cannabis use in the state.
Cannabis is legal for medical use and recreational use in Maryland. The state’s medical program became operational in December 2017, while recreational sales began in July 1, 2023.
Deputy Secretary for Public Health Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman said it was essential to monitor the public health impacts.
“By tracking key indicators, we can create programs and resources aimed at preventing youth cannabis use, promoting safe storage of products to prevent accidental poisonings, and ensuring that existing services effectively support Marylanders facing adverse effects from cannabis use,” he stated.
The dashboard indicates a significant increase in cannabis-related emergency department visits, with the most notable rise observed among individuals aged 20 to 29 – a close to 44 percent jump from 2022 to 2023. Interestingly, the spike started to occur a few months before legal recreational sales came into effect.
Additionally, calls to poison centers have surged; nearly doubling for children aged nine and younger, tripling for those aged 10 to 14, and a 26 percent rise for individuals aged 15 to 19. Another interesting highlight is cannabis use appears to have continually dropped among middle school (9% -> 4.6%) and high school (35.9% -> 23%) students between 2012-13 and 2022-23. It remains to be seen what has happened since legalization.
Also noted was the number of cannabis-related disorder service recipients increased by more than 30% from 2021 – 2023. However, the DoH points out the increase may be confounded by reduced services due to the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
“… this dashboard will help to identify health disparities ensuring that vulnerable populations receive appropriate attention,” said Maryland Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council Chairperson Dr. Deondra Asike. “As public health practitioners, we must strive to safeguard and protect community health and well-being.”
Things have certainly changed in Maryland, where it was previously among the top ten states for arrests for possession. Today, residents more than 21 years old may possess up to 1.5 ounces and cultivate up to 2 plants legally. In July this year, Maryland Governor Wes Moore began granting clemency for 175,000 convictions for misdemeanour possession of cannabis and related paraphernalia.
