Germany sees rise in cannabis-related hospital cases post-legalization

Two years after Germany partially legalized cannabis, hospitals are observing a concerning trend: a rise in patients experiencing acute cannabis poisoning and psychosis. A new study by German scientists analyzed data from over 70,000 hospitalizations to assess the impact of the legal changes.

The research, published in the journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, indicates a moderate increase of a few percentage points. However, doctors caution that the long-term consequences could be more severe than the numbers suggest. Scientists from the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University Medical Center Leipzig are exploring two potential explanations for this trend.

One possibility is that some individuals are trying cannabis for the first time due to reduced social stigma and fear of legal repercussions. However, researchers note a lack of sufficient scientific evidence to support this hypothesis, and existing studies do not show a significant increase in new users. A more likely explanation, according to the scientists, is the growing number of users turning to medical cannabis, which is readily available through online pharmacies.

The issue lies in the significantly higher concentration of THC, the main psychoactive component, in medical cannabis. While recreational marijuana typically contains around 15% THC, medical cannabis averages about 24%. The study's authors warn that consuming cannabis with THC levels exceeding 10-15% increases the risk of psychological problems. Psychiatrist Alkomit Hasan from the University of Augsburg emphasized that even a moderate increase in these cases carries immense social consequences, potentially leading to serious psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and an increased risk of suicide over time.