Young children are accidentally ingesting cannabis edibles at higher rates than ever before as marijuana becomes legal in more states, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
There was a 1,375% increase in reported cases of children 6 years old and younger mistakenly eating marijuana edibles from 2017 to 2021, according to data from National Poison Data System, or NPDS, cited in the report. Cases rose from 207 reports in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021.
The report attributes the rise in cannabis poisoning in children to a number of factors, including increased legality, as well as the colorful packaging of many edible marijuana products, which the report says is “particularly appealing to toddlers because they resemble common treats such as candies, chocolates, cookies, or other baked goods.”
In total, more than 7,000 cases were reported during those five years. During that same time period, the number of states that permit adult recreational marijuana use in the US more than doubled, and the number of US adults with access to legal cannabis soared from 69 million people in 2017 to 135 million people in 2021, which represents a 95% increase, according to the NPDS data.
The majority of incidents happened at home, with almost 98% of cases occurring in residential settings, the study says, and states that have legalized marijuana have seen overall increases in calls to regional poison centers and emergency care center visits.
Side effects of adult doses of cannabis on toddlers and young children range from confusion, hallucinations and slurred speech to seizures and vomiting. Two-year-olds and 3-year olds accounted for the highest number of reported cases, according to the study. Out of all incidents, 23% of patients were admitted to the hospital and no reported fatalities.
