Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/G3--3Vsow-c The ready availability of marijuana had both positive and negative impacts on the use of hospital services in the state of Colorado.  Cardiologists and epidemiologists at UC-San Francisco studied some hospital records from Colorado comparing utilization before and after pot legalization.  On the positive side, there were fewer hospitalizations for chronic pain.  This statistic is a tribute to the effectiveness of cannabis and its components THC and CBD as agents for pain management.  On the negative side, hospital admissions rose due to marijuana-driven motor vehicle accidents, alcohol abuse, and cannabis overdosing.  The net effect on hospital utilization was zero. The lesson learned is that mind-altering drugs can have health benefits.  Their ready availability dictates the need for public education about responsible, moderate use.   This is particularly true in the context of heavy machinery operation. Francesca N Delling, Eric Vittinghoff, Thomas A Dewland, etal. Doe