Over the past 11 years, there has been a significant increase in the annual rates of emergency department visits in Ontario for cannabis-related traffic injuries, according to a recent study conducted by The Ottawa Hospital. This study, which was published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday, analyzed the involvement of cannabis in emergency room visits for traffic injuries between 2010 and 2021 in Ontario, as well as the changes in cannabis consumption and driving habits following the legalization of cannabis in 2018.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Daniel Myran, expressed concern about the growing problem of cannabis impairment and severe road injuries. He stated, “Since 2010, there has been a very large increase in cannabis involvement in traffic injury visits in Ontario.” The study also discovered sharper spikes in marijuana involvement in traffic-injury emergency visits after legalization.
The legalization of cannabis in Canada on October 17, 2018, was associated with a rise in overall consumption, particularly among individuals aged 25 and older, according to a 2020 report from Statistics Canada. In response to legalization, impaired driving laws were also amended to include limits on blood tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels. This is because cannabis can impair cognitive and motor abilities required for operating a vehicle, and it doubles the risk of being involved in a crash, as stated by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
With the increase in cannabis use over the years, Dr. Myran and his research team sought to determine if there were any shifts in cannabis-impaired driving. He explained, “There’s a significant body of evidence showing that cannabis use impairs people’s driving performance, but it’s still unclear what happens to driving safety when you change cannabis regulations.”
The study revealed a 475.3% increase in the rate of emergency room visits for traffic injuries involving cannabis since 2010. In contrast, alcohol-related traffic injury visits only increased by 9.4% during the same period. The researchers examined medical records of emergency room visits for traffic injuries in Ontario and identified cases where cannabis use contributed to the injury.
Out of the 947,604 traffic injury emergency room visits analyzed, 426 had documented cannabis involvement. However, the study did not specify the specific type of cannabis strain detected. Following legalization, there was a 94% increase in the quarterly rate of cannabis involvement in traffic injury emergency room visits. This rate further increased by 223% after the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of retail stores and cannabis products.
The study also discovered that younger adults, particularly males, had an increased risk of cannabis-related traffic injuries. Almost half of the emergency visits involving cannabis also involved alcohol. The injuries resulting from these incidents were severe, with 49.5% of individuals admitted to the hospital and 21% admitted to the intensive care unit.
While the study focused on Ontario, Dr. Myran believes that similar changes have likely occurred nationwide. He emphasized the need for more comprehensive research to address and prevent cannabis-related impaired driving in the future. The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) has also observed an increase in traffic collision deaths linked to cannabis use in recent years.
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