Cannabis-related ER visits are surging in NYS, even among kids under age 5

ALBANY — The state’s youngest residents are increasingly ending up in emergency rooms after ingesting cannabis, according to a new study from the state Department of Health.

The study examined two categories of emergency department visits from 2016 to 2024: cannabis-related poisonings and cannabis-related abuse, dependence and use visits. It found that those visits, along with hospital discharges, increased across nearly all demographic  groups.

"Taken together, these findings highlight that cannabis-related healthcare encounters are increasing and that unintentional pediatric exposure is an emerging public health concern," the study said.

The report, published in May, is among the first statewide publicly available examination of cannabis-related healthcare data.

It found that the rate of children under 5 years old being brought to the emergency room for cannabis-related poisoning went from 0.9 per 100,000 in 2016 to 22.9 per 100,000 in 2023. That was higher than every age group except for 15- to 19-year-olds.

“As a pediatrician for 36 years, this is one of the parts of the report that concerns me the most,” state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said Wednesday at an event in Albany discussing the report.

The study notes that while the amount of children under 5 is not the largest number of cannabis poisoning cases, with 253 in 2023, it merits special attention because it is unlikely children that age are intentionally exposed to cannabis.

The study notes that edible cannabis products that resemble candy or baked goods are especially attractive to children.

Additionally, small children ingesting cannabis presents a safety concern due to their developing brains and smaller body size, the study said. “When you think about children under 4, developmentally, if it fits in a child’s hand, it's going to go into a child’s mouth. That is normal,” McDonald said.

McDonald said it had been more common to see accidents with things like over the counter or prescription medication, but those are now going down. It “speaks to changing the way we think about cannabis, which is, it’s a medicine, but like any other medicine, it needs to be stored safely, securely,” he said.

The study found that older teens, ages 15 to 19, consistently ended up in the emergency room due to cannabis consumption at a higher rate than other age groups. Statewide, the number of cannabis-related poisoning emergency department visits went from 1,205 in 2016 to 2,387 in 2024.

Cannabis-related poisoning is now a major category for emergency departments to handle. By 2022, the number of poisonings was similar to the number of emergency department visits for anti-inflammatory drugs like Tylenol or aspirin.

It exceeded that number by roughly 100 cases in 2023 and 2024.

The report also brings to light questions that need to be further researched, Erica Stupp, lead epidemiologist with the public health and education team at the state Office of Cannabis Management, said at the Wednesday event. 

She and other department officials stressed the importance of purchasing legal cannabis, which comes in child-safe packaging and is regulated, unlike cannabis products purchased illegally that often come in packaging that’s alluring to children and can be confused with regular snacks.

New York legalized medical marijuana in 2014, with sales beginning in 2016. And in 2021, the state legalized recreational marijuana for adults over 21.

The study made several recommendations, including that the state engage in public awareness campaigns to encourage people to safely store their cannabis products, as well as additional education and support for minors to prevent them from using cannabis products.

“I think really it's the education around purchasing from licensed dispensaries and the prevention messaging around safe storage,” Stupp said.

Dr. Carrie Danziger, division chief and medical director of pediatric emergency medicine at Albany Medical Center, said in her 20-year career these types of incidents in children went from something she never saw to something she now sees.

“We’re not taught about this in medical training. This did not exist,” she said at the Wednesday event. “There’s so much more to learn and do.”