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New research from Monash University shows cannabis-related hospital admissions have risen sharply across Victoria over the past decade, highlighting growing concerns about cannabis-related psychosis and the burden on the state's hospitals.

The observational study, published in Addiction, found hospital admissions primarily caused by cannabis increased by 49% across Victoria between 2013 and 2023.

Psychotic disorders, commonly understood as psychosis, were the most common primary diagnosis, accounting for 40% of admissions. They can cause people to lose touch with reality, including through hallucinations and delusions.

A further 15.2% of admissions were the result of harmful cannabis use, 11.6% were due to poisonings and 11.6% were due to withdrawal.

Men and boys ages 15 to 24 continued to record the highest overall hospital admission rates, followed by women and girls of the same age.

Admissions among women and girls of all ages increased by 75% over the decade, more than double the 35% rise recorded among men.

Researchers analyzed almost 40,000 cannabis-related hospital admissions across Victoria's public and private hospitals over the 10-year period, drawing data from the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED).

More than two-thirds of all cannabis-related admissions involved hospital stays of multiple days, with a median stay of seven days. More than 1,500 admissions required intensive care.

Lead author Myfanwy Graham, from the Monash Addiction Research Centre, said the findings highlight a growing strain on the health care system.

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