About

Darin J. Erickson is a Professor in the Department of Epidemiology & Community Health and is affiliated with the Cannabis Research Center (CRC) at the University of Minnesota. His research primarily focuses on public health issues related to cannabis and alcohol use, with a strong emphasis on policy and healthcare provider practices. Erickson's work contributes to multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including those aimed at improving health and well-being, reducing inequalities, and promoting responsible consumption and production. His expertise encompasses cannabis and alcohol research, alcohol policy, and latent class analysis, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach to addressing substance use and its impacts on communities. Erickson is actively involved in numerous research projects funded by prominent institutions such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. These projects explore topics ranging from healthcare provider assessment of cannabis use, combating HIV stigma in healthcare settings, to pathways of firearm violence perpetration during formative school years. Through his extensive research output and collaborations, Erickson contributes to advancing knowledge on substance use, public health interventions, and social determinants of health.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Medicine
• Business
• Psychiatry
• Economic growth
• Gerontology
• Physical therapy
• Engineering
• Environmental health
• Internal medicine
• Demography
• Pediatrics
• Psychology
• Economics

Selected publications

• More Than Half of Retailers Sold Hemp-Derived THC Products to Underage-Appearing Buyers Despite Age Restrictions

  Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs · 2026-04-29

  article

  OBJECTIVE: The 2018 Federal Farm Bill created a loophole allowing intoxicating hemp-derived tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products to be manufactured and sold with limited regulations. Unless restricted by the state, these products are available across many retailer types. We assessed the likelihood of sales of hemp-derived THC products to underage individuals in one large city in Minnesota, USA which had a minimum purchase age of 21 but few other restrictions. METHOD: We conducted pseudo-underage purchase attempts at establishments that reported or were observed carrying hemp-derived THC products in 2023. Buyers, 21 or older but judged by a panel to look aged 18-20, attempted to purchase hemp-derived THC products without age identification. We assessed whether the availability and purchase rate differed by community economic advantage and establishment type. RESULTS: Approximately one-third (149/452) of establishments carried hemp-derived THC products. The overall pseudo-underage sales rate was 56% (70/125). Establishments in areas of higher (vs. lower) economic advantage were more likely to carry hemp-derived THC products (40% vs. 30%) but less likely to sell to a pseudo-underage individual (49% vs. 68%). Compared to establishments that primarily sell non-age-restricted items (e.g., gas stations, grocery stores), establishments that primarily sell age-restricted products (liquor stores, tobacco stores, hemp-dispensaries) were more likely to carry these products (69% vs. 20%) but equally as likely to sell to pseudo-underage individuals (54% vs. 57%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that underage people could easily access hemp-derived THC products. It is imperative that these products are considered in assessments on availability of cannabis.

  PublisherDOI

• Environmental Factors and School Lunch Participation Among Minnesota Secondary Students in the US

  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior · 2026-01-30

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Emergency Department Visits During the Fall 2019 Public Safety Power Shutoff Events in California

  Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: To prevent power lines from igniting wildfires, utility companies in California are authorized to conduct Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), de-energizing, or shutting off power to equipment during periods of high wildfire risk. This study assessed the association between PSPS and emergency department visits. METHODS: The study quantified the extent to which counties in California experienced PSPS each day between September 15 and November 30, 2019. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the rate of emergency department encounters per 100,000 county residents based on quartiles of PSPS exposure, compared to no PSPS exposure at the county-day level. Analyses examined all emergency department encounters as well as age- and diagnosis-specific visits. RESULTS: There was an increase of 15 emergency department visits per 100,000 persons aged 65 years and older on days with the highest levels of PSPS exposure compared to days without PSPS. The highest level of PSPS exposure was associated with increased rates of emergency department visits for respiratory, cardiovascular, injury, and mental or behavioral diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Despite advanced notification, PSPS events are associated with negative health consequences. Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the unintended adverse health effects of PSPS and should be prioritized in mitigation efforts.

  PublisherDOI

• Unintended prolonged opioid use: a prospective case–control study

  Pain · 2026-03-04

  article

  ABSTRACT: Appropriate short-term use of opioids in opioid-naive adults can result in unintended prolonged opioid use (UPOU) which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The objective of this prospective case-control study was to identify incident cases of UPOU and to compare their characteristics with patients who did not progress to UPOU. Opioid-naive adults receiving an initial opioid prescription for surgical or nonsurgical indications were recruited at 3 clinical sites. Patients progressing to UPOU (cases) were identified 90 days after the initial prescription and compared with patients who did not progress to UPOU (controls). The status of opioid use was verified using urine drug tests. The cohort included 513 cases and 517 controls. The mean (SD) patient age was 49.6 (15.3) years and 694 (67.4%) were female. In an adjusted logistic regression analysis, several patient characteristics significantly associated with UPOU included ≥2 emergency department evaluations in the past year; prior spine, joint replacement, or cataract surgery; status as a current or former smoker; daily use of over-the-counter pain medications; opioid craving; and greater pain interference. Conversely, characteristics negatively associated with UPOU included postsurgical pain as the indication for the initial opioid prescription, prior pregnancy, greater widespread body pain, and lower levels of general activity. The findings of this study offer novel insights into the behavioral pain responses and patient characteristics associated with UPOU. These results will be used to promote strategies to identify at-risk patients and to deploy interventions targeting the modifiable risk factors for UPOU.

  PublisherDOI

• Abstract P2024: The Association of Cannabis Use with Risk of Mortality, Incident Stroke, and Incident Myocardial Infarction in a Minnesota Healthcare System, 2016-2023

  Circulation · 2025-03-11

  articleSenior author

  Introduction: Daily cannabis use is now more common than daily alcohol use, but we lack a comprehensive understanding of the association of cannabis use with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a longitudinal analysis to assess the role of cannabis use associated with mortality, incident stroke, and incident myocardial infarction (MI). Methods: We included adult patients who received regular care (at least 2 outpatient visits in a 3-year span) from a large Minnesota healthcare system from 2016-2023. The baseline date was defined as the 2 nd qualifying visit, and variables were captured using ICD codes from medical records. Cannabis users were matched with up to four non-cannabis users by age, sex, race-ethnicity, baseline date, and days between the 1 st and 2 nd visit. Outcomes included incident stroke and MI obtained from inpatient admissions and mortality, which was obtained through linkage to state records. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the association between cannabis use and each outcome, adjusting for prevalent demographics and comorbidities at the time of the baseline date. Results: We matched 30,529 cannabis users to 121,623 non-cannabis users, with a mean (SD) age of 36 (15) years, 56% were male, and 71% were White race/ethnicity. During a mean (SD) follow-up of 3.9 (2.4) years, there were 5,425 deaths, 719 incident strokes, and 580 incident MIs (Table). After adjusting for potential confounders and mediators, the use of cannabis was associated with a higher risk of mortality [HR (95%CI): 1.41 (1.32, 1.53)], stroke [HR (95%CI): 1.25 (1.03, 1.53)] and MI [HR (95%CI): 1.53 (1.23, 1.88)] compared to non-users. Conclusion: Cannabis use was associated with an increased risk of mortality and CVD, even after fully adjusting for potential confounders and other substance use in this general healthcare system population. Given the increasing cannabis use in the US, more research is needed to understand the role of cannabis in CVD pathways and how increasing use alters CVD epidemiology.

  PublisherDOI

• Medicare Work-Related Injuries

  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine · 2025-02-07 · 1 citations

  article

  OBJECTIVE: Older adults may pay healthcare-related costs for work injuries if Medicare covers claims over workers' compensation (WC). We assessed Medicare enrollee costs after a work-related injury by WC status. METHODS: We longitudinally analyzed Medicare fee-for-service claims (2016-2019) for Medicare enrollees aged 65 years and older with work-related injuries, estimating WC effects on healthcare use and enrollee costs using difference-in-differences and quantile regression models. RESULTS: WC covered at least one Medicare claim for 16% of the 13,039 enrollees with work-related injuries. Over 90 days, mean Medicare out-of-pocket costs were lower with WC ($447) than without ($778). With WC, enrollees owed $1432 at the 90th percentile compared to $2465 without, an adjusted difference of $600 (95% CL, -767, -432). CONCLUSIONS: Although WC covers some costs, Medicare claim billing increases after a work-related injury, often leading to substantial patient expenses.

  PublisherDOI

• Enhancing Methods for Research on Cannabis: A Workshop Report

  Journal of Cannabis Research · 2025-09-29

  reviewOpen access

  AIMS: Progressive legalization of medical and recreational cannabis markets at the state-level has led to rapid growth of medical and recreational cannabis markets and to product diversification with emerging products having high concentrations of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Research on these products is still limited and the evidence available for policy formulation is diminished by methodological limitations. METHODS: As a step towards addressing these limitations, the Colorado School of Public Health convened a multidisciplinary workshop that addressed four areas of cannabis research: epidemiological, clinical, surveillance, and policy. Workshop participants provided recommendations in each area to advance research on cannabis to make it more informative for decision-making on key policy topics. Emphasis was placed on assessment of use of cannabis products by study participants. RESULTS: Recommendations for research methods and their implementation were made in the four areas. Those for epidemiology include using a core set of exposure assessment measures across three domains; developing this core set through a national and/or international scientific consensus process; ensuring the core set of measures are validated and readily available; and updating the core set periodically to account for ongoing changes in the cannabis landscape. Recommendations in the clinical research area include standard dosing and dosing terminology; standardized data collection instruments; identifying biomarkers for detecting cannabis exposure; and biological matrices. Policy research recommendations were offered for state regulators, evaluators/researchers, and policy makers. Surveillance recommendations include developing and implementing a novel and nimble surveillance system to monitor use of high-concentration forms of cannabis; adding questions to existing surveillance systems with the objective of monitoring high-concentration cannabis and adverse outcomes; and elevating the coordination, synthesis, and dissemination of findings in existing data sources that could signal adverse outcomes from high-concentration cannabis. CONCLUSIONS: Given the changing marketplace, it is urgent to improve the informativeness of cannabis research through enhanced research methods.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Abstract 070: The Risk of Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Associated with Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Opiate, and Cannabis Use: An Analysis of a Large Healthcare Claims Database

  Circulation · 2025-03-11

  article

  Introduction: Arrhythmogenic risks associated with substance use are poorly understood; existing studies are limited in scope or conducted in select populations. We conducted a longitudinal analysis to quantify the association of substance use with incident arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in a commercially insured population in the US. Methods: Using data from the MarketScan databases (2016-2022), we used ICD-10 codes to identify substances, outcomes, and covariates at each medical encounter. Substance users were matched with up to five non-substance users by age, sex, insurance enrollment date, and encounter date. Outcomes included atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular tachycardia (VT), and a combined SCA/ventricular fibrillation (SCA/VF) outcome. We used Cox proportional hazards models to assess the association of each substance with each incident outcome, adjusting for demographics and comorbidities. Results: We matched 154,208 substance users to 697,869 non-users (mean age = 43 years; 46% female). Opiate and cannabis use were the most common (Table). During a mean follow-up of 2.1 years, there were 25,357 AF events, 6,351 VT events, and 2,095 SCA/VA events. After adjusting for potential confounders, the use of methamphetamines, cocaine, cannabis, and opiates was each associated with an increased risk of AF, with cannabis use having the highest risk of AF [HR: 1.84 (95% CI: 1.71, 1.98)] compared to matched non-users. All substances were associated with an increased risk of VT and SCA/VF, with cocaine use having the highest risk of SCA/VF [HR: 3.45 (95% CI: 2.77, 4.28)] compared to non-users. Conclusion: In this representative sample of commercially insured people, methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis, and opiate use was each associated with a 1.5-3.5 times increased risk of developing arrhythmias. Given the ongoing drug crisis and increasing cannabis use in the US, understanding the association of substance use with arrhythmia risk will help better target arrhythmia prevention in these populations.

  PublisherDOI

• Project SHINE (Sleep Health INitiative for Equity): A Community-Based Pilot RCT to Promote Sleep and Physical Activity Among Black/African American Adults

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Unintended Prolonged Opioid Use: Protocol for a Case-Controlled Trial (Preprint)

  2025-02-02

  preprintOpen access

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Misuse of prescription opioids remains a public health problem. Appropriate short-term use of these medications in opioid-naive patients is indicated in selected settings but can result in unintended prolonged opioid use (UPOU), defined as the continuation of opioid therapy beyond the period by which acute pain would have been expected to resolve. Clinical strategies aimed at preventing UPOU are lacking due to the absence of information about how this poorly understood clinical phenomenon actually develops. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> In this research project, 3 Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) programs (Mayo Clinic, University of Michigan, and Yale University) leveraged the conceptual framework for UPOU to investigate how patient characteristics, practice environment characteristics, and opioid prescriber characteristics facilitate or impede UPOU. All data management and analyses were conducted at a fourth CTSA program (University of Minnesota). This work was accomplished by pursuing 3 specific aims. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> In aim 1, opioid-naive adults receiving an initial opioid prescription were recruited for study participation. Opioid prescriptions were identified longitudinally, and patterns of use were categorized as short-term, episodic, or long-term use using established criteria. Using a prospective case-control design, patients progressing to UPOU were matched 1:1 with patients who did not develop UPOU, and differences in patient characteristics were assessed. In aim 2, clinicians who prescribed opioids to patients in aim 1 were identified and recruited for prospective assessments. Institutional and individual practice environments were assessed using a validated self-report survey. In aim 3, structural equation modeling was used to evaluate data collected in aims 1 and 2, and identified interactions were further evaluated in a large national administrative claims database. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Patient recruitment began on August 1, 2019. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, patient recruitment was slowed and intermittently interrupted over the ensuing 3-year period. As a result of regional variations in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on research activities, the majority of patient and clinician recruitment occurred at the Mayo Clinic site. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Following complete data analyses, it is anticipated that electronic health record systems will be leveraged to help clinicians identify at risk patients and to develop direct-to-patient educational materials to raise awareness of the risk factors for developing UPOU. </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04024397; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04024397 </sec> <sec> <title>INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT</title> DERR1-10.2196/72032 </sec>

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01AA017873

  NIH · $1.9M · 2014

Frequent coauthors

• Kathleen M. Lenk

  University of Minnesota

  115 shared

• Traci L. Toomey

  University of Minnesota

  98 shared

• Melissa N. Laska

  University of Minnesota

  83 shared

• Toben F. Nelson

  Minnesota Department of Health

  68 shared

• Jessica Wolfe

  59 shared

• Rachel Widome

  Minnesota Department of Health

  59 shared

• Susan P. Proctor

  U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

  43 shared

• Rhonda Jones‐Webb

  University of Minnesota

  41 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Public Health

  University of Minnesota

  2000

• M.S., Public Health

  University of Minnesota

  1996

• B.A., Environmental Science

  University of California, Berkeley

  1993