84% of Teen Encounters Had Cannabis in St. Louis Study

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Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis led a national analysis that found cannabis appeared in 84% of substance-related emergency encounters among 16- to 18-year-olds, while alcohol was more common among older patients. Researchers examined more than 1.3 million people ages 16–64 who had at least one substance-related emergency care encounter from 2016 through 2023, using commercial insurance and Medicaid data. They counted more than 5 million encounters, and nearly half of cannabis-related encounters also involved another substance. The findings compare age patterns; cannabis listed in a record was not necessarily the main reason for care. Disclosure: This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.

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00:00Researchers in St. Louis found cannabis recorded in 84% of teens receiving substance-related emergency or hospital care.

00:08Those teens were ages 16 to 18, not a sample of all teenagers.

00:12The national study analyzed insurance records for more than 1.3 million people over eight years.

00:18But there's a key catch.

00:20Cannabis counted if it appeared anywhere in the diagnosis list.

00:24Even when patients came in for something else,

00:26nearly half of cannabis-related encounters also involved another substance.

00:31So cannabis wasn't necessarily the reason someone needed hospital care.

00:35Researchers found cannabis-related admissions involving psychosis and severe vomiting increased among younger people.

00:42But teen hospitalizations with cannabis as the main reason declined.

00:46Alcohol, meanwhile, dominated substance-related care among older adults.

00:51The findings show different patterns by age.

00:53But don't establish cannabis caused every recorded hospital visit.

00:57Disclosure.

00:58This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.

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