Mental Health note | As more and more use Cannabis, the reality is that results are proving to be more than a positive high.
Takeaway
* Inpatients with cannabis use disorder were more than 50% as likely to have a primary diagnosis of epilepsy.
Why this matters
* Possible increasing off-label use of unregulated cannabidiol, marijuana and unknown cerebrovascular effects of long-term cannabis use.
Key results
* Risk for epilepsy hospitalization higher for patients with vs without cannabis use disorder after adjustment for:
* Demographics (OR, 1.556; P<.001),
* All suspected risk factors excluding other substance use disorders (OR, 1.490; P<.001), and
* Demographics and all risk factors including tobacco, opioid, amphetamine, cocaine, alcohol abuse disorders (OR, 1.420; P<.001).
* Among the patients with epilepsy, incidence of cannabis use disorder was 5.8%.
* Those with cannabis use disorder:
* Younger (P<.001),
* More often male and African American (P<.001 for both), and
* More commonly had preexisting epilepsy risk factors (brain tumor, meningitis, encephalitis, cerebral palsy, stroke, developmental disorders; P<.001 for all).
Study design
* Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study of Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2010-2014, patients aged 15-54 years:
* 657,072 with primary diagnosis of epilepsy.
* 67,575,568 without epilepsy.
* Main outcome: epilepsy hospitalization.
* Funding: None.
Limitations
* Study establishes only correlation.
* Lack of information on dose, strains, preparations, reasons for use.
