In the United States, incidents of children accidentally ingesting cannabis-infused edibles have skyrocketed since the increasing legalization of the drug. In 2017, just over 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”.
Manufacturers often enrich edibles such as chocolate, cookies or cakes with cannabis – products that appeal 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.
Cannabis can provoke violent reactions in children
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.
Marijuana legal in 18 US states
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 incidents of accidental consumption of hashish by children.
They called on adults to store and hide hashish products only in lockable, child-resistant containers. Manufacturers must pack the products opaque and print warnings about excess use.
Source: Krone
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