If you use marijuana (cannabis)—especially edibles—be sure to keep it away from children and pets. Cases of toxic exposures are soaring as more states legalize both medical and recreational marijuana.
Using the National Poison Data System portal, a study in Pediatrics in January evaluated edible cannabis exposures in children under age six, from 2017 to 2021, during which time 7,043 cases of toxicity were reported in this age group. Pediatric exposures increased by 1,375 percent in this five-year period (from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021), with the majority occurring at home. The most cases were among two- and three-year-olds. Those stats underestimate the true number of unintentional exposures, since many cases are not likely to be reported unless medical attention is needed.
About 70 percent of the children experienced varying degrees of central nervous system depression (drowsiness/lethargy), and 23 percent were hospitalized, some in critical condition. Fewer than 2 percent of the children went into comas. Among the other symptoms requiring emergency medical attention were tachycardia (fast heart rate) and vomiting.
In 2017, cannabis was legal in 30 states and Washington, D.C., for medical use, and in eight states and Washington, D.C., for recreational use. By mid-2022, those numbers had risen to 39 and 18 states. The nationwide upward trend of unintentional ingestion by young children is alarming but not surprising given that edibles are especially appealing to kids because they look and taste like candies and cookies or other baked sweets. And by age two or three, kids are adept at opening packages and climbing up to cabinets. Children are especially susceptible to toxicity from cannabis ingestion because of their smaller body size and because they may ingest more than one “dose” at a time.
It’s recommended to keep all cannabis products locked up in places inaccessible and unknown to children, preferably outside the kitchen. Adults should refrain from using edibles or other cannabis products in front of children, who might imitate them. While tobacco and alcohol must be packaged in regulated ways, there are no similar national laws for cannabis products. Thus, they are often sold in appealing, brightly colored packages that are not child-resistant and carry no warning labels. Some states, like California, do have restrictions on packaging, however.
But kids aren’t the only ones getting caught with their hands in the candy jar. Reports of cannabis-induced intoxication in pets are also on the rise, according to a study in PLOS One last year, which surveyed veterinary practices in the U.S. and Canada. Exposures, mostly from edibles, were most common in dogs, with the number of cases increasing since 2018 (when recreational cannabis use was legalized in Canada). Signs of toxicity in pets include urinary incontinence, disorientation, ataxia (clumsy movement), lethargy, hyperesthesia (extreme sensitivity to touch), and bradycardia (slow heart rate). Never leave edibles or other cannabis products unattended when pets are around, and contact your vet right away if your pet experiences symptoms of concern. Fortunately, according to the vet survey, nearly all the pot-intoxicated pets recovered completely.
