The increases were notable both during and after the pandemic and were highest among children and female persons.
Investigators examined closed cases of cannabis-related human exposures that were coded as intentional-suspected suicidal.
Of note, there was a statistically significant increase in cannabis poisonings in young children (5-13 years) in 2021, during the pandemic, compared with 2019, a prepandemic year (3.1% vs. 1.3%; P < .001), the researchers report.
“This may speak to both increased access to cannabis as well as poor mental health status during the pandemic period,” study investigator Tracy Klein, PhD, assistant director, Center for Cannabis Policy, Research and Outreach, Washington State University Vancouver, Mount Vista, said in an interview.
The study was published online in JAMA Network Open.
Reports of intentional poisonings with cannabis increased by roughly 17% annually over the study period. Most cases occurred in recent years and involved individuals aged 14-64 years. Nearly all (96.5%) cases involved more than one substance.
“The resemblance of cannabis edibles, implicated in the majority of poisonings to candy, vitamins, and food products, is a risk to patients across the life span who may not fully understand what they are consuming or how potent it is,” Dr. Klein said in an interview.
Overall, nearly 1 in 10 exposures resulted in death or other major outcomes (life-threatening outcomes or outcomes involving major residual disability or disfigurement). For older adults, 19.4% of exposures led to death or other major harm.
“Elderly patients may also have comorbid conditions and polypharmacy, which contributes to their much more serious outcomes from cannabis poisoning,” Dr. Klein said.
The researchers caution that, owing to the cross-sectional nature of the data, they could not identify a causal association between cannabis use and suicide attempt.
With more states legalizing cannabis use by adults, increases in cannabis use will likely persist.
“It is important to further examine the suspected association between cannabis use and suicidal behaviors and how risks can be prevented or mitigated,” the researchers note.
Dr. Klein encourages health care providers to ask patients whether they are using cannabis and how they obtain and store it.
“As with all medications and substances, storage is a key safety issue that is elicited during a careful history,” said Dr. Klein.
Support for the study was provided in part by funds provided for medical and biological research by the State of Washington Initiative Measure No. 171. Dr. Klein has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article originally appeared on Medscape.com.