In the United States, incidents of children accidentally ingesting cannabis-infused edibles have skyrocketed since the increasing legalization of the drug.
In 2017, only a good 200 cases were recorded in which children up to five years old had eaten such products, in 2021 there will be more than 3050, according to a study published Tuesday (local time) in the journal “Pediatrics”.
Producers often enrich edible products such as chocolate, biscuits or cakes with cannabis – products that are attractive to children. Due to their low body weight, consumption by children can have serious health consequences. While no deaths were recorded over the five-year study period, eight percent of affected children required intensive care treatment and nearly 15 percent required hospitalization.
appeal to parents
The affected children were three years old on average. Health consequences of accidental cannabis use included central nervous system (CNS) depression, coma, cardiac arrhythmias and vomiting.
At the start of the study in 2017, cannabis use in the United States was legal in only eight states and the capital, Washington. By May 2022, the number of states with legal cannabis use had risen to 18. The study’s authors suspect a connection to the sharp rise in cases of accidental consumption of hashish by children.
They called on adults to store and conceal hashish products only in lockable, child-resistant containers. Manufacturers must pack the products opaque and print warnings about excess use. (SDA/jmh)