Canabis is killing people in Colorado

Record number of teens hospitalized for pot in Colorado: Rate has quadrupled since the 'cannabis ground zero' state legalized marijuana

• Colorado teens have quadrupled ER visits since the state legalized pot
• The number of marijuana-related visits went from 146 in 2005 to 639 in 2014 
• Half patients had symptoms of mental illness, tested positive for other drugs
• Colorado legalized pot for adults for medical use in 2010 and recreation in 2014 
• Eight state have since legalized recreational marijuana. As of November, medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
• But the medical community is still divided over the pros and cons of cannabis
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A record number of teens have been hospitalized for marijuana-related illnesses in Colorado since pot was legalized, new figures suggest.

Emergency room patients under the age of 21 have quadrupled in number since 2010, when the state legalized the drug for medical purposes. 

There was a surge in cases in 2014, when state lawmakers agreed to legalize marijuana for recreational use as well. 

More than half of those were adolescents with symptoms of mental illness. 

The pros and cons of cannabis are still being discussed as studies have found it to be beneficial in treating certain health problems, while other research have found it can also leave teens with long-term cognitive impairment.

Dr. George Wang, the lead author and an associate professor at the University of Colorado's medical department, found half of the minors who came into an emergency department also tested positive for other drugs.

Commonly detected substances included ethanol, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, opiates and cocaine.

The study abstract analyzed 3,443 marijuana-related visits over a 10-year course from January 2005 to June 2015. 

Dr. Wang said although national data on teen marijuana use suggests rates stayed the same, around 7 percent, from 2005 through 2015, the surveys don't reflect the effect legalization may be having on teen usage.

A 2015 study found Colorado high schoolers are slightly decreasing their marijuana consumption. 

That year only 21.2 percent of teens reported using the drug within the past 30 days, down from 22 percent in 2011. 

Nationwide, the rate of pot use by teens is slightly higher at 21.7 percent, the study found.

A recent side effect found for frequent users of marijuana is cannabinoid hypermesis, which causes people to become violently sick.

CHS can trigger stomach pain, nausea and vomiting and can only be calmed by taking a hot bath. 

A 2016 study found that 77 percent of minors believed smoking weed was safe and in 2014 most teens smoked more than they binge drink.

The top five places where teens smoked were the District of Columbia, New Mexico, Washington, Connecticut and Vermont, all exceeding the nationwide rate, according to Project Know. 

States across the board have followed Colorado's lead and have legalized marijuana for both medical and recreational purposes. 

In addition to Colorado, both forms are legal in Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Nevada, California, Maine and Massachusetts. 

Restricted for medical use only are, Montana, North Dakota, Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware and Hawaii. 

While the benefits and drawbacks of cannabis have frequently been discussed, the former Surgeon General to Obama weighed in on the topic and admitted it can be helpful but research isn't fully up to speed. 

Publishing a landmark report on the topic in 2016, Dr. Vivek Murthy said that he ws worried the legalization movement is moving faster than research. 'Marijuana is in fact addictive,' he said.

The medical benefits of marijuana are still a hot topic because it is used to treat chronic pain but scientists claim those who begin smoking the drug at age 15 or younger may suffer long-term cognitive impairment and physical illnesses.

And those who began smoking marijuana at age 17 or younger had an average 62.5 percent lower chance of receiving a high school degree. 

Still, states have rapidly legalized the drug over the past decade. Despite the new legality, cannabis black markets have seen a boom in states with medical marijuana laws.