Increased ER Visits the Latest Consequence of New York’s Embrace of Commercial Marijuana
(NEW YORK, NY) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor, released the following statement today in response to new reporting by LoHud that found cannabis-related ER visits in New York spiked 131% from 2019 to 2023:
“This increase in ER visits is a canary in the coal mine. Advocates promised legalization would foster social justice and reduce the underground market. Four years after the signing of New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) it’s abundantly clear that the state’s embrace of pot profiteers has been anything but safe and isn’t fulfilling any of those promises.
“This staggering spike in cannabis-related hospitalizations comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed the trends and outcomes in every other state that has experimented with marijuana legalization. These dismal hospitalization statistics are the latest in a string of consequences that include the long-running plague of unlicensed pot shops selling illicit drugs across New York City and the state at-large, and disciplinary data from New York City schools that reflects an increase in alcohol- and drug-related offenses, as well as past-month marijuana use.
“Governor Hochul and legislative leaders have just over a month left in the current legislative session. They should accept the medical and scientific data in front of them, and act decisively to correct course. By increasing enforcement against shops peddling illicit drugs, immediately adopt prohibitions against advertising for marijuana and THC-infused products, and requiring that all packaging feature prominent warning labels that clearly state that use of marijuana and THC drug products comes with significant risks and serious health consequences, including addiction, IQ loss, depression, suicide, psychosis, and schizophrenia, especially for young people, they can put New York on a path to a better future.”
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