Table 1.
The Association of Recreational Cannabis Legalization with Cannabis Exposures Reported to the National Poison Data System, 2010–2017.
| Study Sample | Comparison A | Comparison B | Comparison C | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association of Recreational Cannabis Legalization with Cannabis Exposures per 1,000,000 Population per Quarter | ||||||
| Coefficient of Linear Regression (95% CI) |
Estimated Percentage Change | Coefficient of Linear Regression (95% CI) |
Estimated Percentage Change | Coefficient of Linear Regression (95% CI) |
Estimated Percentage Change | |
| All population | ||||||
| Exposures among All Population | 1.21 (−1.86, 4.28) |
15.99% | 0.75 (−2.02, 3.53) |
9.91% | 0.68 (−2.16, 3.51) |
8.99% |
| Subgroup Analysis | ||||||
| By Age | ||||||
| Exposures among Age 21 Below | 2.91 (−2.25, 8.06) |
21.33% | 2.52 (−2.19, 7.24) |
18.47% | 2.24 (−2.78, 7.26) |
16.42% |
| Exposures among Age 21 or Older | 0.48 (−2.10, 3.05) |
9.70% | −0.036 (−2.41, 2.34) |
−0.73% | 0.0060 (−2.29, 2.31) |
0.12% |
| By Sex | ||||||
| Exposures among Males | 1.74 (−0.94, 4.41) |
20.37% | 1.19 (−1.50, 3.87) |
13.93% | 1.11 (−1.64, 3.87) |
12.99% |
| Exposures among Females | 0.64 (−3.24, 4.52) |
9.78% | 0.30 (−3.46, 4.05) |
4.59% | 0.22 (−3.43, 3.87) |
3.36% |
| By Intention | ||||||
| Unintentional Exposures |
1.44** (0.47, 2.42) |
61.35% |
1.38** (0.57, 2.20) |
58.79% |
1.30** (0.46, 2.13) |
55.38% |
| Intentional Exposures | −0.23 (−2.71, 2.24) |
−4.41% | −0.63 (−3.04, 1.78) |
−12.07% | −0.62 (−3.03, 1.79) |
−11.88% |
| By Severity of Outcome | ||||||
| Exposures with Medical Consequences | 0.47 (−2.14, 3.08) |
22.13% | 0.0051 (−2.45, 2.46) |
0.24% | 0.026 (−2.46, 2.51) |
1.22% |
| Exposures without Medical Consequences |
0.74* (0.11, 1.37) |
13.60% |
0.75** (0.26, 1.23) |
13.78% |
0.65* (0.16, 1.14) |
11.94% |
| By Source of Reporting | ||||||
| Exposures Reported from Health Care Facilities | 0.18 (−2.03, 2.39) |
7.14% | −0.22 (−2.33, 1.89) |
−8.73% | −0.23 (−2.33, 1.87) |
−9.13% |
| Exposures Reported Elsewhere | 1.03 (−0.12, 2.18) |
20.41% | 0.97 (−0.015, 1.96) |
19.22% | 0.91 (−0.067, 1.88) |
18.03% |
*
p<0.05,
**
p<0.01
Notes:
- Data were analyzed at state-quarter level.
- All regressions also controlled for medical cannabis legalization, active medical cannabis dispensaries, data access of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, mandatory use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, Medicaid expansion, number of active physicians, median household income, poverty rate, unemployment rate, total number of human exposures reported to the National Poison Data System, state indicators, year indicators, quarter indicators, and state-specific time trends.
- Standard errors were clustered at state level.
- Comparison A compared 9 jurisdictions with recreational cannabis legalized during the study period (Alaska, California, Colorado, DC, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) to 6 states without recreational cannabis legalized but with medical cannabis legalized before 2010 (Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont). Comparison B compared 9 jurisdictions with recreational cannabis legalization to 22 states that had not legalized medical cannabis by the end of 2017 (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming). Comparison C compared 9 jurisdictions with recreational cannabis legalization to all the remaining 42 states without recreational cannabis legalization.
- Estimated percentage changes were computed as the coefficient estimates from linear regressions divided by the pre-legalization average cannabis exposure rates.