Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42167765›Full record

ArticleAddiction (Abingdon, England)2026

Change of substance-related hospitalisation in adolescents after cannabis legalisation in Thailand in 2022.

Sirada Puetpaiboon, Songyos Rajborirug, Vorthunju Nakhonsri, Chumpol Ngamphiw, Peerapat Khunkham, Sissades Tongsima, Watcharapot Janpoung, Virasakdi Chongsuvivatwong

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sirada PuetpaiboonDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9265-3385
Songyos RajborirugDepartment of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5000-7409
Vorthunju NakhonsriMedical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Chumpol NgamphiwMedical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Peerapat KhunkhamMedical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Sissades TongsimaMedical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Watcharapot JanpoungMedical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Pathum Thani, Thailand.
Virasakdi ChongsuvivatwongDepartment of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsOn 9 June 2022, Thailand changed its cannabis legislation, expanding access to individuals aged >18 years. Evidence suggests that such changes could increase the risk of cannabis use and related harms, and could influence patterns of use of other substances among adolescents. This study measured the potential impact of these legislative changes on adolescent substance-related hospital admissions.

designAn interrupted time-series study to assess the impact of cannabis legalisation on substance-related hospitalisations using anonymised admission records from the Thai Health Information Portal.

settingNationwide study in Thailand spanning from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2023, with 9 June 2022 marking cannabis legalisation. PARTICIPANTS/CASES: Adolescents aged 10-19 years in Thailand. MEASUREMENTS: Based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision diagnostic codes, hospitalisation records were classified as relevant or irrelevant to each of eight predefined substance categories: stimulants (excluding cocaine), alcohol, cannabis, sedatives (including opioids and narcotics), volatile solvents, nicotine, hallucinogens and cocaine.

findingsThere were an additional 25.5 weekly cannabis-related hospitalisations (95% prediction interval = 23.5-27.2) compared with counterfactual predictions, resulting in 1762 excess cases over the 68-week post-legalisation period. Statistically significant excess admissions were also observed for stimulants, nicotine, volatile solvents and hallucinogens, corresponding to additional admissions of 9.1, 1.4, 0.5 and 0.5 per week, respectively (95% prediction intervals = 0.3-15.4, 0.4-2.1, 0.3-0.7 and 0.2-0.7, respectively). No statistically significant changes were observed for alcohol-, sedative- or cocaine-related hospitalisations.

conclusionsCannabis legalisation in Thailand was followed by a marked rise in adolescent hospitalisations related to cannabis, alongside an increase in stimulant-, nicotine-, volatile solvent- and hallucinogen-related hospitalizations. These findings highlight the potential unintended consequences of cannabis legalisation in Thailand and underscore the need for preventive strategies to reduce adolescent exposure and related harm.

Indexed as

CannabisHospitalizationLegislation, DrugSubstance-Related DisordersAdolescentChildFemaleHumansInterrupted Time Series AnalysisMaleThailandYoung Adultadolescentscannabis legalisationsubstance‐related hospitalisationsubstance use trendsThailandtime‐series analysis

Identifiers

PMID42167765
PMCPMC13578852

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.