Marijuana has had a number of effects on states that have legalized it. Tax revenue is up, arrest rates for cannabis-related offenses are down, and in some places, there’s even been a drop in the crime and murder rates. But one agency that just can’t catch a break since pot became legal and readily available is US Poison Control. Its centers are suffering from a huge increase in calls from stoners between 2017 and 2019, according to a new report by the journal JAMA.
No, those ingesting Mary Jane in all its forms aren’t just calling the hotline to chat about their latest drug-induced revelation. They’re actually having bad trips and freaking out about them.
“Our findings document that US poison centers are increasingly receiving calls about adverse events associated with exposures to manufactured cannabis products,” reads the report.
According to the National Poison Data System, 28,630 people called US poison centers between January 2017 and December 2019. Of those who called because they overdid it on the reefer, 65.5% reported ingesting too much flower and 19.3% overdosed on edibles. Strangely, the majority of the calls came from health care facilities, not private homes. Most were simply adults who got too high, but sadly, 27% of calls were regarding kids under 10 who’d gotten ahold of a cannabis product. (Edibles are particularly attractive to children, for obvious reasons.)
So what should you do to avoid being one of the sad sacks who has to frantically dial a poison control center when all you meant to do was unwind a little?
“Novice cannabis users are often advised to ‘start low, go slow,’” the report authors advised.
And for goodness sakes, keep your drugs away from the kids!
Cover Photo: Mayara Klingner / EyeEm (Getty Images)
MORE NEWS:
Entertainment News 5 15 21
-
Billie Eilish Brings Blonde Bombshell Energy to British Vogue Cover (Move Over, Marilyn Monroe)
Read more here.
Photo: Instagram
-
Megan Fox Wraps Her Legs and Lips Around Machine Gun Kelly, Meanwhile We Wrap Our Lips Around Another Cheeseburger
Read more here.
Photo: Chris Unger / Contributor (Getty Images)
-
Britney Spears’ Strange Sandwich Tutorial Shows She Doesn’t Know Her Nuts (But At Least Nobody Is Taking Them From Her)
Read more here.
Photo: Instagram
-
George Clooney Hilariously Fan Boys Over Brad Pitt For Charity Video
Read more here.
Photo: YouTube
-
Mark Wahlberg Reveals 20-Pound Weight Gain, Finally Looks Like the Rest of Us
Read more here.
Photo: Instagram
-
Will Smith Admits ‘I’m in the Worst Shape of My Life’ in Dad Bod Instagram Pic
Read more here.
Photo: Instagram
-
Viral TikTok of Adam Sandler Hilariously Waitlisted at IHOP by Server Who Doesn’t Recognize Him (Or Totally Recognized the Guy Who Made All Those Bad Movies)
Read more here.
Photo: TikTok
-
Adam Sandler Hilariously Responds to Viral IHOP Video in ‘For the Record’ Tweet
Read more here.
Photo: Rich Fury / Staff (Getty Images)
-
Justin Bieber’s Ugly-Ass Dreadlocks Are Back (And Other Celebs Who Never Should Have Tried This Trend)
Read more here.
Photo: Instagram
-
‘How I Met Your Mother’ Jokes That Won’t Land In Hilary Duff’s Sequel Series ‘How I Met Your Father’
Read more here.
Photo: 20th Century Fox Television/Gotham (Getty Images)
