Cannabis Use Disorder and Epilepsy: A Cross‐National Analysis of 657 072 Hospitalized Patients

Abstract

Background and Objectives Recent evidence has suggested that cannabis use precipitates cerebrovascular events. We investigated the relationship between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and hospitalization for epilepsy. Methods Nationwide inpatient sample (NIS) was analyzed from 2010 to 2014 for patients (age 15‐54) with a primary diagnosis of epilepsy (N = 657 072) and comparison was made between patients with ICD‐9 classification of CUD and without CUD. We utilized logistic regression to study the association (odds ratio [OR]) between CUD and epilepsy. Results The incidence of CUD in epilepsy patients was 5.77%, and patients with CUD had a threefold higher likelihood of emergency admissions. Patients with CUD were younger (25‐34 years), male and African American. In regression analysis, adjusted for confounders, cannabis (OR, 1.56), tobacco (OR, 1.20), and alcohol (OR, 1.63) use disorders were found to be associated with higher odds of epilepsy hospitalization, but lower odds with cocaine (OR, 0.953), amphetamine (OR, 0.893), and opioid (OR, 0.828) use disorders. Conclusions and Scientific Significance With the increasing prevalence of medical marijuana legalization, there is increased use of medicinal marijuana. Studies of cannabidiol and marijuana for epilepsy have been highly publicized, leading to its off‐label use for treatment. There is limited evidence to suggest that the cannabinoids may also induce a seizure. This study found that CUD is independently associated with a 56% increased likelihood of epilepsy hospitalization and this association persists even after adjusting for other substance use disorders and confounders. (Am J Addict 2019;28:353–360)

Recreational Cannabis Use and Risk of Prescription Opioid Overdose: Insights from Pediatric Inpatients

“…Mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal behaviors, and psychotic disorders were significantly associated with pediatric POD inpatients having CUD [22]. Youth with CUD at an earlier age have a greater risk of long-lasting cognitive impairment and several psychiatric and medical conditions [23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Alcohol Use Disorder Increases Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury-Related Hospitalization: Insights From 3.8 Million Children and Adolescent Inpatients

“…TBI increases the risk of addiction by reducing the cognitive ability to perceive negative consequences and increases the perception of gains perceived by drinking and substance abuse [23]. A study by Patel et al found that cannabis abuse among youth increases the risk of intracranial injury by 1.3 times [24]. Binge alcohol drinking is also a risk factor for TBI due to falls and assaults and MVA.…”

Cannabis use disorder and increased risk of arrhythmia‐related hospitalization in young adults

“…We included patients (age 15-54) with a primary ICD-9 discharge diagnosis for arrhythmia as shown in Table 20 Patients coded as "in remission" from cannabis abuse or dependence were excluded from our sample to maintain the homogeneity of the study cohort. Patients below 15 years and above 54 years of age were excluded from the sample to limit our analysis to the middle 90th percentile of the cannabis users.…”

“…Patients below 15 years and above 54 years of age were excluded from the sample to limit our analysis to the middle 90th percentile of the cannabis users. 20 Demographic variables studied included age group (15-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54), gender (male or female), and race (Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, or other). 19 The existing risk factors for cardiac arrhythmia were based on the past literature and identified using ICD-9…”