Healthcare data tie the coronavirus pandemic to increased substance use among young people. That includes cannabis.
But a new CDC report also shows that emergency department visits related to cannabis began ramping up years before COVID.
Almost 19% of kids 12 and under in the U.S. used cannabis in 2021.
Expanding legalization has coincided with lower risk perception and more cannabis-related ED visits among children and young teens.
During the pandemic, more than one-quarter of ED visits among people 25 and younger occurred in the 15–24 age group.
The data also showed a large uptick in visits among children 10 and younger and in the 11–14 age group.
The authors recommend locking and storing cannabis away from children and suggest communities implement evidence-based programs to help young people cope with stressors and problems.
