Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Kids Sickened by Edibles on the Rise

 Ruth Cummins authored the following post for UMMC. 

The Mississippi Poison Control Center is experiencing a concerning increase in calls regarding children who have found and eaten marijuana-laced candies and chocolates at home, making them sick enough for a trip to the emergency room.

And with the establishment of marijuana dispensaries expected around the state this year, the calls “are only going to continue rising,” said Jenna Davis, managing director of the Poison Control Center housed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The American Academy of Pediatrics this month reported data that shows a 1,375 percent increase in children’s consumption of “edibles,” or food products infused with marijuana, between 2017-2021. Although UMMC’s numbers are not as high in comparison, they have significantly jumped over the past few years, Davis said.

In 2019, the center received just two calls concerning ingestion of edibles. But in 2022, the number of total calls shot to 36, Davis said. Fourteen of those were in children ages 0-12, three for teens ages 13-19, 11 for ages 20-39 and six for 40 and older.




In the past 10 days, we’ve already had four calls for kids ages 0-6,” Davis said. “And statewide, these cases are underreported.”

“There has been a consistent increase in pediatric edible cannabis exposures over the past five years, with the potential for significant toxicity,” the Academy said in its publication Pediatrics.

In its study of cases between 2017-21, most ingestion of edibles by children occurred in a residence, the Academy said. Seventy percent caused central nervous system depression, and more than 22 percent required a hospital stay, including intensive care, the report said.

Adult products laced with THC such as candy, gummies and chocolates appeal to children, Davis said. “We’ve seen ‘dope rope’ gummies, with lots of calls on those. They look like a Nerds (candy) rope.”

Equally alarming is the growing number of children who get their hands on products easily available online and in convenience stores containing Delta 8 THC, a naturally occurring chemical compound found in small traces of hemp and marijuana plants. “It’s not regulated. It has very similar effects to the other components of marijuana that produce euphoria,” Davis said. “We receive tons of calls on this, and it’s increasing, for all ages.”

In its 2022 Drug Threat Assessment, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics notes that “products like edibles, oils, wax, and hashish are still being seen and seized across the state. These products are especially desirable among teens and younger adults.”

The state’s new and evolving marijuana laws, the report says, “make marijuana a new kind of threat.”

A number of physical reactions to THC-laced edibles can make children very sick, Davis said.

“It’s hard to overdose on marijuana, but some of these gummies contain very large doses and some kids are eating a whole lot of them,” Davis said. In addition to central nervous system depression, it can cause rapid heartbeat, vomiting, confusion, difficulty walking and drowsiness, and in extreme situations, respiratory distress and seizures, she said.

When center employees receive calls about ingestion of edibles by children, she said, “we recommend they go to a hospital for observation, depending on their situation and whether they’re experiencing the more serious symptoms. In rare cases, if they’ve had a huge dose or if they have underlying medical conditions, they are at serious risk for other complications and should call 911.”

What’s also important to remember, Davis said, is a child can eat edibles and not immediately show any distress or effects. “Unlike when you smoke marijuana, when you eat a product that contains THC, it’s a couple of hours before it takes effect. It may be a few hours before the parent notices that their child has ingested edibles.”

Most adults who call the center about a child who has eaten edibles “are worried because they left it out, and they didn’t intend for their child to get into it,” Davis said. “Some callers are reluctant to give us information for fear of getting in trouble.

“Their information is confidential. We are here to help them and guide them. Most of them are very forthcoming, and we can get all the information we need to make a proper recommendation.”

Her suggestions to adults who have edibles, whether it’s in their car, home, purse or wherever: “Treat them like a medication. Store them in a secure place, out of sight and out of reach of children.

“Most products have some type warning label, but sometimes it’s very small. Even an older child might not pay attention to it.”

Going forward, the center is focusing on prevention, Davis said.

“We know it’s going to be around,” she said. “The bigger thing is the kids getting into it.”

The Mississippi Poison Control Center focuses on prevention, education and treatment. It’s a free, confidential, statewide service available 24/7 to assist with questions and exposures regarding potential poisons, chemicals, medication and more. A trained professional can be reached at 1-800-222-1222.

 

44 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is get much worse now that the stoners can buy edibles legally.

Anonymous said...

Not sick, just buzzed. They'll live.

Anonymous said...

Well, the obvious question is where was UMMC during the debate concerning “medical” marijuana? This prob Luis only going to get worse.

Anonymous said...

Just like handguns, rat poison, and liquor the fault lies with the substandard adults leaving the items unsecured.

Anonymous said...

If it's "medicine," then it should be packaged as such, and not like candy. It can still be made as a gummi or chocolate or whatever, just don't make the outside of the package look like candy to a kid.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to be really amused when people use this as a reason to frown on "medical marijuana" while at the same time saying that having uncontrolled access to guns in the home is NOT a reason for concern. I'm not against guns, think people who are not criminals and not mentally or emotionally unstable should have as many as they want. But I do think it is going to be a mistake to play this story up if your idea is that the availability of marijuana should be curtailed more than it is. As someone else here said, the problem is the negligence of parents, not the marijuana, not the guns. Just the same, you can expect this kind of thing from stoner parents.

Anonymous said...

I would imagine a 3 year old consuming edibles would be emotionally traumatic and have lifelong negative consequences.

Anonymous said...

Oh for fuck's sake, they are already going full reefer madness.

Colorado's coming up on a decade of legal weed, and it's sure turned into a hellhole since then. Know what they have that MS doesn't? Running water, good schools, and healthy citizens.

Anonymous said...

To quote Eddy Haskell from Leave It To Beaver - “Is it my fault the kid can’t handle his buzz”?…….geeze!

Anonymous said...

Well, who made this possible?

Anonymous said...

Stoner parents forget to hide their edibles from the kids. Shocker.

The legal stuff hasn't even hit the street yet, has it? So how is this fault of . . . oh screw it. Goodnight

Anonymous said...

If these kids want to put on a little buzz before they go on a play date, we ought to tax their little five-year-old asses just like an adult. No free rides, and the State wants the revenue anyway.

Anonymous said...

Hold on! This poison center is located in central Mississippi where legal pot is not yet available.

I'm in favor of med-mar and always wondered why the hell it would be allowed in the form of something that looks just like childhood candy. If adults suffering from anxiety, PTSD or cancer don't eat gummy bears, why manufacture the product to have that appearance?

Should we package vodka to look just like Freezer Pops or sell whiskey in little boxes with a tiny straw to poke through a hole?

Anonymous said...

9:57 apparently you have not been to Denver lately, it is a hell hole. Can’t walk down the sidewalk downtown with tripping over a stoned out freak or a homeless vagrant. Stench of weed everywhere, real utopia. Police doing nothing cause of the left wing nut job political administration. All those liberal business owners are having buyers remorse on their previous votes, too late now, elections have consequences.

Anonymous said...

Y’all are missing the point. This stuff is being laced with who knows what by who knows who. This has got nothing to do with medical marijuana. Quit conflating the two.

Anonymous said...

First it's edibles, then reefers, then coke, then meth, then oxy...

Anonymous said...

The "health officials" like to focus your attention on a specific subject, without giving you any context. Tell me how many kids are poisoned by prescription medication.

Also don't forget that MSDH spread the fake story about people being poisoned by Ivermectin. The department of health is about as reliable as Baghdad Bob.

Anonymous said...

I see it didn't take the cult long to deflect this damaging information. There will be very little good from legal Marijuana, but very much harm.

Anonymous said...

Just like handguns, rat poison, and liquor the fault lies with the substandard adults leaving the items unsecured.

Children consuming unsecured edibles should be taken from their parents.

Anonymous said...

8:21 - you will never make me believe that there are no medications available to patients that will do the same things that they claim MJ will do.

Anonymous said...

"Should we package vodka to look just like Freezer Pops or sell whiskey in little boxes with a tiny straw to poke through a hole?"

Damn, wished I had thought of that. Need to think of patenting this, but expand to other drinks.

Anonymous said...

This is because humans who should not be entrusted to care for a stray cat procreate en masse.
There are warnings all over this stuff. If you have kids, novel idea...don't keep drugs in your home.
Stop asking the rest of us to suffer for your Tide Pod eating morons, and stop asking for more government to parent your kids.

Anonymous said...

What’s the difference between a weed-blowing adult and a child?

Anonymous said...

And 8:32 you will never make me believe that medical patients should not have a choice between for example, an anti-nausea pill made by pharmaceutical companies and an anti-nausea plant made by god.

They offer the same result, yes.

Why do you fear the option of prescription choice?

Anonymous said...

The ole "Marijuana is harmless" crowd then morphed into "MJ cures everything" and the stoner/drunk crowd cheered. Having worked in DC and CO recently, it's just staggering to see the rapid decline in cities and states which think dope is just grand.

And it's only been a short time in NYC and it's already a stanking hellhole of the high and mentally ill.

And, no, the old stoner with a low THC cigarette is not the same.

But the damn idea that we pretend dope is medicine and then make it into candy is insane. Yeah, it lets you be a stoned slacker all day without the disgusting stench. And, yeah, it's the fake medical card users who do this, not just a dozen epileptic kids who might benefit and need an edible. Maybe, as very little science shows efficacy.

I know a nurse out on Holly Bush Road who used to toke every afternoon on the way home from day shift at the hospital. I'd be behind her for miles as she took a little "loop" away from home to get high, reeking of weed (and of course before euphorically picking up her kids at daycare and driving UI).

Now she'll be the first in line for edibles and a MM card.

Our society is collapsing rapidly due to stupid people who are drunk and high. And, no, Cletus, MJ doesn't "make you concentrate."

AT least now more studies will get done on its harm. And, of course, just like booze, it's too late to stop and too many rich people are invested in keeping the sheep buzzed. And I don't mean sheared except financially.

Anonymous said...

When will Edibles Madness hit the theaters?

Anonymous said...

Actually, January 19. 2:34am, that's exactly what they do. Walk into any liquor store in the state and you'll find little bitty kid-sized Buzz Balls, Malibu Coconut Rum, "Long Island Iced Tea" and little frozen daquiri pouches that you sure as you bet can just stick a straw in and drink. Not to mention the "Club Cocktails", apple juice flavored beer, and boozy seltzer waters (right next to non-boozy seltzer waters in exactly the same packaging) that are in plain old convenience store cooler right beside the Paw Patrol juice bottle. Yet we're all so booze-culture brainwashed that we'll consider these things separate than "candy-looking" edible hemp which is kept behind the counter or in a specialized store like Magnolia Hemp. I for one gave up drinking years ago because it was a toxic habit for me but I'm incredibly grateful for the ability to purchase Delta-8, Delta-9 and CBD because it has kept me off of Zoloft, Prozac or another pharmaceutical for anxiety and depression. The difference is that I keep it in the same liquor cabinet my husband has his Bourbon in and my children have been told it's a hands-off adults only product, just like the booze. Responsible parenting again can't be overstated. Has it ever occurred to anyone that it's possible that people are simply more likely to call the poison control center with a concern now that they don't have to fear their kids being taken away and the parents being sent to prison? It wasn't so long ago that kids were eating Tide Pods and I can't recall too much self-righteous outrage about how Tide was the problem.

Kingfish said...

If you're going to go down this route, then start bitching about all the gummy/candy version os vitamin C, B, and other supplements in nutrition stores.

Anonymous said...

"Know what they have that MS doesn't? Running water, good schools, and healthy citizens."

Uh, we have all three here in Madison, in abundance. I have heard many other towns are similarly blessed.

In fact, I know of only one town in Mississippi that does not have reliable drinking water. Surprisingly, their schools(with rare exceptions) suck, and their citizens' health is deplorable (mainly due to problems that most people who seek help can get under control).

Anonymous said...

10:05 Parts of Madison just had a boiled water notice last week.

Anonymous said...

Be it far from me to stand in the way of a fool determined to screw their life up, but to think this idiot magnet of a weed is for the betterment of life is too much. Too much.

We already live in a society seemingly void of any sense, not just common sense, but any sense. And some people think there won't be far ranging negative consequences? Too much.

Adults, that don't consider that their actions are having consequences in the lives of their children, are beyond a fool.

The use of drugs, any drug, and that would include alcohol, as a refuge, because they are mentally, and emotionally weak are doing a damnable thing introducing this to their children.

Anonymous said...

@10:08 AM Yep, that's one in a row.

Anonymous said...

@9:47 AM Committing a felony in front of your kids is "responsible parenting." Got it.

Anonymous said...

12:30- What felony?

Anonymous said...

The maryjane cult reminds me of the branch covididiots. No matter how much negative information is presented to them concerning their position, they will defend it to the death. True believers.

Anonymous said...

1:19, much like the anti-maryjane cult. Cuts both ways.

Anonymous said...

If the people who want weed to remain a illegal would agree to also pass laws banning all sales of all alcohol, I would join the fight.

Seems fair to me.

Anonymous said...

"because they are mentally, and emotionally weak"

So these weaklings just need to toughen up? Like you, I presume?

Perhaps we all just need a good dose of your brand of religion.

Anonymous said...

January 19, 2023 at 11:51 AM, I agree with everything you said. And it's sickening to consider that these days, what you said applies to such a wide swath of the populace.

Anonymous said...

King said: 'If you're going to go down this route, then start bitching about all the gummy/candy version os vitamin C, B, and other supplements in nutrition stores.'

I'm sure Kingfish is familiar with the logical fallacy of 'whataboutism'.

PS: I've never been in a 'nutrition store'.

Anonymous said...

I posted one response that apparently didn't pass the censor, he must not have agreed with my little pregnant opinion. I'll try again.

I never presented myself as an example, that's your opinion. Likewise, I posted my opinion, and in that opinion I never mentioned myself.

Neither am I selling religion, that was in your opinion, which leads me to think you are a proud member of the hedonistic maryjane cult. I posted my opinion, and I didn't mention religion.

Maybe You aren't a laid back toker of the maryjane cult, maybe you were offended because I mentioned alcohol. So, which is it proud toker, or crying drunk?

Anonymous said...

FOR THE WIN - a tie between 7:51 and 9:11

Anonymous said...

Wait, some of you want to make alcohol illegal? Send people to prison for drinking?

Anonymous said...

January 19, 2023 at 8:48 PM, which comment said that?



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