According to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, the number of young children who eat cannabis-related products jumped 14-fold in five years as more states legalized the drug.
There have been reports of cannabis poisonings in young children in the last few years.
An analysis of data from the National Poison Data System shows that there were more than 3000 calls to poison control centers about cannabis exposure in kids under the age of 6.
There were no deaths, but nearly a quarter of the children were hospitalized, and more than half of the cases were among two- and three-year-olds.
Reports of exposure and hospitalizations spiked during the Covid-19 Pandemic compared to pre-pandemic years, researchers said.
Increasing legalization of marijuana, children spending more time at home and having more opportunities to find cannabis- infused treats are some of the reasons for the increase.
The researchers said their findings show the need for more stringent regulation of the amount of the main psychoactive component in marijuana in order to make it less attractive and accessible to kids.
Young kids can be exposed to cannabis. Legalization of recreational cannabis has led to a rise in poisonings. Cannabis poisonings mark a very small but fast-growing subset of poison exposures reported among young children, a situation that is mirrored in Canada, which has seen poisoning cases spike following legalization. Marijuana legalization efforts have led to an increase in the popularity of the drug. Products that are often in the form of candy or cookies are often packaged in ways that are highly appealing to young children and many of them have a resemblance to popular snacks.
Difficult breathing, dizziness, and trouble walking are some of the symptoms of cannabis poisoning. It can take longer to feel the effects of the drug, meaning people may eat far more than they expected, and the uncertainty is magnified by variations in THC strength, other food eaten, other medications taken and differences in weight for children compared to the product The researchers said that more than 90 percent of children found the food they ate at home. Almost all of the exposures happened in a home.
Young children are exposed to cannabis at a high rate. The researchers said their analysis, which focused on incidents reported to poison control centers, was likely an underestimate of the actual number of exposures.
A new day has arrived. It is the number of states that have legalized marijuana. In the late 19th century, votes were taken in Missouri and Maryland. The drug has been legalized in Washington, D.C. The federal level of cannabis prohibition is still in place.
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