Cannabis-Induced Anxiety Disorder in the Emergency Department

In December 2018, Michigan became the 10th state to legalize marijuana for adults. Since this law took effect, increased availability and use of cannabis in Michigan have led to increased emergency department (ED) visits associated with the drug's psychiatric effects.

To describe cannabis-induced anxiety disorder's prevalence, clinical features, and disposition in a community-based study.

This was a retrospective cohort analysis of consecutive patients diagnosed with acute toxicity related to cannabis use (ICD-10 code F12). Patients were seen at seven EDs over a 24-month study period. Data collected included demographics, clinical features, and treatment outcomes in ED patients who met the criteria for cannabis-induced anxiety disorder. This group was compared to a cohort experiencing other forms of acute cannabis toxicity. Chi-squared and t-tests were used to compare these two groups across key demographic and outcome variables.

During the study period, 1135 patients were evaluated for acute cannabis toxicity. A total of 196 patients (17.3%) had a chief complaint of anxiety, and 939 (82.7%) experienced other forms of acute cannabis toxicity, predominantly symptoms of intoxication or cannabis hyperemesis syndrome. Patients with anxiety symptoms had panic attacks (11.7%), aggression or manic behavior (9.2%), and hallucinations (6.1%). Compared to patients presenting with other forms of cannabis toxicity, those with anxiety were likelier to be younger, ingested edible cannabis, had psychiatric comorbidities, or had a history of polysubstance abuse.

Cannabis-induced anxiety occurred in 17.3% of ED patients in this community-based study. Clinicians must be adept in recognizing, evaluating, managing, and counseling these patients following cannabis exposure.