Cannabis-related Non-Fatal Hospitalizations among California Residents, 2016–2023

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Below is a snapshot of the  statewide cannabis-related non-fatal hospitalizations​ among California residents from 2016 to 2023.​

Data are available for three different types of cannabis-related diagnoses based on Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) guidance (PDF):

1. Cannabis Burden: Provides the most inclusive definition that incorporates nearly all cannabis-related codes. It includes all ICD-10-CM codes associated with the cannabis “poisonings,” “abuse, dependence, and use” and “newborn affected by maternal use of cannabis” indicators.
2. Poisonings: Includes only ICD-10-CM codes associated with the cannabis “poisonings” Indicator.
   
3. Abuse, Dependence, and Use: Includes only ICD-10-CM codes associated with the cannabis “abuse,” “dependence” and “use” Indicators.  

The three cannabis-related diagnoses indicate that cannabis use consumed healthcare resources by either causing a hospitalization directly or contributing to need for care.

How to Use 

There are three ways you can view the dashboard: 1) number of hospitalizations (First tab), 2) rate of hospitalizations (Second tab) and 3) California county map (Third tab).

Visualizations for the number and rate of hospitalizations are available for Youth and Young Adult (0 to 20 years old) and Adult (21 years and older).

To view the data, select each filter on the menu:

First Tab (Number of Hospitalizations)

• Diagnosis: Select “Cannabis Burden,” “Poisonings,” or “Abuse, Dependence, and Use” from this menu.
• Demographic: The data can be viewed by different age groups (0–4, 5–9, 10–14, 15–20, 21–25, 26–30, 31–35, 36–40, 41–50, 51–60, 61–70, 71 years and older), race/ethnicities (Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Black, White, Multiracial, and Other/Unknown), sex (female and male), and the overall population. All the races/ethnicities other than Hispanic are labeled as non-Hispanic.
• Total Number of Hospitalizations: The data can be viewed by year of cannabis-related hospitalizations by selecting a specific year (2016 to 2023).

Second Tab (Rate of Hospitalizations)

• Age-adjusted Rate
  
• Diagnosis
• Year: The data can be viewed by year of cannabis-related hospitalizations by selecting a specific year (2016 to 2023). 
• Crude Rate
• Diagnosis
• Demographic

Third Tab (California County Maps)

• Year
• Diagnosis
• Which Rate? (for rate map only): The California county map can be viewed by either age-adjusted rate or crude rate.

​Download the​ California Cannabis-related Hospitalizations Dashboard Data (xlsx).​​​

Data Highlights

Cannabis Burden

The age-adjusted rate of cannabis burden-related non-fatal hospitalizations increased from 267.3 per 100K California residents in 2016 to a peak of 309.9 per 100K California residents in 2018 (15.9% increase) followed by a decrease to 260.2 per 100K California residents in 2023 (16.0% decrease). The total number of cannabis burden-related hospitalizations in 2023 was 100,811.

• Nearly half (47%) of the cannabis burden-related hospitalizations in 2023 were among 15- to 35-year-old California residents. Among youth and young adults, 15- to 20-year-olds had significantly higher rates of cannabis burden-related hospitalizations compared to youth 14-years-old and younger from 2016 to 2023.
• The rate of cannabis burden-related hospitalizations was the highest for Black individuals compared to individuals from other racial/ethnic groups for both youth and young adults, and adults from 2016 to 2023.
• Overall, adult males had higher rates of cannabis burden-related hospitalizations compared to adult females from 2016 to 2023. However, the rate of hospitalizations among female youth and young adults surpassed the rate for males of the same age group beginning in 2019.

Cannabis Poisonings

The age-adjusted rate of cannabis poisoning-related non-fatal hospitalizations increased from 3.0 per 100K California residents in 2016 to a peak of 5.0 per 100K California residents in 2019 (66.7% increase) followed by a decrease to 2.9 per 100K California residents in 2023 (42.0% decrease). The total number of cannabis poisoning-related hospitalizations in 2023 was 1,113.

• Among youth and young adults, the rate of cannabis poisoning-related hospitalizations among 0- to 4-year-olds increased from 2019 to 2021 and has remained high relative to other age groups through 2023. Among adults, the overall trend in the rate of cannabis poisoning-related hospitalizations included a sharp increase from 2016 to 2019 followed by a decrease to 2023. This trend was primarily driven by poisoning-related hospitalizations among 21- to 30-year-olds but also observed among 15- to 20-year-olds.
• Overall, the rate of cannabis poisoning-related hospitalizations was the highest for Black individuals compared to individuals from other racial/ethnic groups for both youth and young adults, and adults from 2016 to 2023. There has, however, been a large decrease in the rate of poisoning-related hospitalizations among Black adults from 2019 to 2023
• Among adults, males consistently had higher rates of cannabis poisoning-related hospitalizations compared to adult females from 2016 to 2023. Among youth and young adults, males had slightly higher rates of cannabis poisoning-related hospitalizations compared to female youth and young adults from 2016 to 2023, except in 2021 when both female and male youth and young adults had the same rate.

Cannabis Abuse, Dependence, and Use

The age-adjusted rate of cannabis abuse, dependence, and use-related non-fatal hospitalizations increased from 265.7 per 100K California residents in 2016 to a peak of 307.8 per 100K California residents in 2018 (15.8% increase) followed by a decrease to 252.8 per 100K California residents in 2023 (17.9% decrease). The total number of cannabis abuse, dependence, and use-related hospitalizations in 2023 was 98,422.

• Nearly half (48%) of the cannabis abuse, dependence, and use-related hospitalizations in 2023 were among 15- to 35-year-old California residents. Among youth and young adults, 15- to 20-year-olds had significantly higher rates of cannabis abuse, dependence, and use-related hospitalizations compared to youth 14-years-old and younger from 2016 to 2023.
• The rate of cannabis abuse, dependence, and use-related hospitalizations was the highest for Black individuals compared to individuals from other racial/ethnic groups for both youth and young adults, and adults from 2016 to 2023.
• Overall, adult males had higher rates of cannabis abuse, dependence, and use-related hospitalizations compared to adult females from 2016 to 2023. However, the rate of hospitalizations among female youth and young adults surpassed the rate for males of the same age group beginning in 2019.

​Prevention Implications

The number and rates of cannabis-related hospitalizations differ by age, race/ethnicity, and sex. These disparities may stem from a variety of factors related to cannabis use, cannabis screening, and hospitalizations. Recognizing these differences is important when designing and tailoring prevention efforts for groups with higher rates of hospitalizations. Additionally, developing institutional and provider-level practices and policies can help address racial inequities in cannabis use screening.

It is essential to develop and promote safeguards that protect children and youth from cannabis exposure. Cannabis exposure awareness, education, and prevention efforts among parents and guardians can help reduce cannabis-related harms among children and youth.

In 2023, nearly half of the cannabis burden-related hospitalizations in California were among those aged 15 to 35. Educating youth, young adults, parents, and guardians about the risks and consequences of cannabis use is crucial in reducing its negative impacts.

Implementing evidence-based programs that promote physical and mental wellness, along with positive health behaviors like coping and problem-solving skills, can help reduce cannabis use among youth and young adults. Screening for cannabis or other substance use can help identify youth and young adults who may benefit from interventions and support services.

For more information, please visit the following resources:

• Cannabis Safety Measures
• Cannabis Health Effects: Youth and Young Adults
• Cannabis Health Effects: Short-Term and Long-Term
• Cannabis Poisoning
• Lets Talk Cannabis

​Data Sources

• The California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) provides Patient Discharge data on patient demographics and discharge diagnoses.

• For the rate (crude and age-adjusted) calculations, the following data sources were used:
• Denominator: Denominators are population projections from the California Department of Finance. 
  
• Age Adjustment: 2000 U.S. Standard Population (Census P25-1130) data.

Suggested Citation for the Dashboard: California Department of Public Health, Substance and Addiction Prevention Branch. California Cannabis-related Non-fatal Hospitalizations Dashboard [online]. 2025. [accessed date]. URL: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/cannabis/Pages/California-Cannabis-related-Hospitalizations-Dashboard.aspx.

Technical Notes

1. Exclusion criteria: Cases that were excluded from this dashboard were-
1. Non-California residents
2. Age older than 119 years
3. Unknown age
   
4. Fatal cases
2. The following ICD-10-CM codes are used to determine cannabis hospitalization rates and counts:
   
   Cannabis Burden: includes primary or other diagnosis of cannabis poisoning (T40.7X or T40.71 or T40.72 AND a sixth character of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and a seventh character of “A” or missing), OR any other diagnosis which includes the following codes: F12.1 (abuse), F12.2 (dependence), F12.9 (use), or P04.81 (newborn affected by maternal cannabis use).
   
   Cannabis Poisoning: Includes cases with a primary or other diagnosis of cannabis poisoning (T40.7X AND a sixth character of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, AND a seventh character of “A" or missing).
   
   Cannabis Abuse, Dependence, and Use: Includes cases with a primary or other diagnosis of abuse (F12.1), dependence (F12.2), or use (F12.9).
3. Hospitalization records may contain multiple cannabis-related ICD-10-CM codes in different categories and are not mutually exclusive.

For questions, please contact us at cannabis@cdph.ca.gov.​