US Seeing Rise in Children Accidentally Ingesting Marijuana Edibles

A new study published on Tuesday revealed that there had been an increase in children, especially toddlers, in the last five years who are mistakenly consuming weed edibles.

Between 2017 and 2021, over 7,000 confirmed cases of children under six consuming marijuana edibles, an increase from roughly 200 to over 3,000 cases per year.

A recent review published in the journal Pediatrics found that about a quarter of the children ended up in hospitals, some of whom were severely ill.

Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, led the study and said those were just the reported cases.

As more states legalize the use of weed for medical and recreational purposes, incidents of children consuming marijuana-related treats, including candy, chocolate, and cookies, have increased.  Currently, 21 U.S. states have laws governing the adult use of marijuana recreationally, and 37 states allow its medical use.

To reduce the appeal and accessibility of marijuana goods to children, which are frequently packaged to resemble children’s candy and snacks, Tweet urged increased parental vigilance and additional regulations similar to those passed by many states.

“When it’s in a candy form or cookies, people don’t think of it in the same way as household chemicals or other things a child could get into,” she said.  “But people should really be thinking of it as a medication.”

“They’re the ones starting to explore and to get up and move around,” she said.

Researchers were able to follow the progress of roughly 5,000 cases out of more than 7,000 reports.  Nearly 600 children, or about 8%, were discovered to have been admitted to critical care units, frequently with reduced breathing or even coma.

Over a third of patients were examined in emergency rooms, and only about 15% were admitted to non-critical care units.  The typical symptoms included nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, and drowsiness.

According to Tweet, covid-19 has been the cause of the increase in children eating weed edibles.