{
  "id": 14031655,
  "title": "Cannabis hospitalisations up 49% in a decade, new study shows",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/cannabis-hospitalisations-up-49-in-a-decade-new-study-shows",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-12T18:59:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation AU",
    "slug": "the-conversation-au",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/cannabis-hospitalisations-up-49-in-a-decade-new-study-shows-292365"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study reveals a 49% increase in cannabis-related hospital admissions over the past decade in Victoria. Psychotic disorder, or psychosis, emerged as the leading cause, accounting for 40.1% of cases where cannabis was the primary reason for hospitalization. The research, which examined almost 40,000 hospital admissions from 2013 to 2023, found that cannabis-related psychosis was the main driver, with most patients requiring hospitalization for over a week. More than 1,500 individuals even needed intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Younger women and adults aged 65 and older experienced the steepest increase in hospitalizations, despite males aged 15-24 making up the largest group. Experts attribute the rise to factors such as increased cannabis use during the COVID pandemic, changing social perceptions, higher-strength cannabis products, and potential issues with medicinal cannabis prescriptions. More women and older adults are using cannabis in risky ways, and higher-potency products with up to 88% THC are being prescribed, which can cause severe psychiatric and respiratory reactions. The findings highlight the need for tailored prevention campaigns, improved clinical screening, and safety regulations to address the evolving cannabis landscape.",
  "summary": "More people are ending up in hospital after using cannabis than a decade ago, and psychosis rates are rising. Here’s what can explain the rise.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}