A new study has alarmed the United States as it shows that the country’s poison control centers have seen up to a 14-fold increase in calls about minors ingesting marijuana candy in the last 5 years.
magazine paediatricsfound in research published in its reissue that between 2017 and 2021, the number of contacts with poison control centers to report cases of food consumption in children aged 6 years and younger increased THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis) increased from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021.
The commercialization of candy made from marijuana would facilitate the rise in child poisoning in the United States. Photo: Pexels
The results were based on analysis of the 7,000 pediatric episodes reported to the National Poisoning Record System. 97% of the time, kids found edible marijuana in their homes and mistook it for candy.
For Antonia NemanicProfessor of Emergency Medicine and Toxicology at the Medical Center of the Rush Universityin Chicago, and one of the study researchers, the growing number of states that have approved the legal use of recreational marijuana has made this plant easier to access.
It also states that edible marijuana that looks like a candy or cookie can confuse minors who find these products in the home.
According to the study, one reason children are getting high is the growing number of states that have legalized recreational marijuana use. Photo: Los Angeles Times
Among the information found, it was found that almost half of the cases were minors between the ages of 2 and 3, followed by 18% of 4-year-olds, 15% of 1-year-olds, 13% of 5-year-olds and only 1.9 % of infants.
The publication also notes that children require hospitalization in a quarter of cases and that 8% of these ended up in intensive care. However, no death was recorded related to these events.
The symptoms of a minor who has used edible marijuana are usually these confusion, hallucinations, tachycardia and vomiting. Severe poisoning can cause them to go into a coma or have trouble breathing. The severity depends on the amount taken in relation to the child’s height.