Marijuana-related emergency department visits increased much more steeply among non-Colorado residents (“marijuana tourists”) than residents in the year after retail sales of recreational marijuana began.
Retail sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado began in 2014. To assess the effect of marijuana tourism on emergency department (ED) visits, researchers at an urban academic hospital in Colorado examined rates of ED visits possibly related to cannabis use among non-Colorado residents and Colorado residents in 2013 and 2014. Such visits increased significantly among nonresidents from 2013 to 2014 (from 85 to 168 per 10,000 ED visits; rate ratio, 1.98), but not among residents (106 to 112 per 10,000 ED visits; rate ratio, 1.05). Statewide hospital data showed similar results for nonresidents (112 to 163; rate ratio, 1.46) and a smaller but significant rise for residents (86 to 101; rate ratio, 1.17).
In a separate article describing the ef…