Poisoning of children for edible marijuana products increases in Mississippi

By admin MS MMJ News January 19, 2023

JACKSON, Mississippi — Amid a national increase in cases of children consuming marijuana edibles, the state of Mississippi has seen an increase in calls about children being poisoned by marijuana treats.

The Mississippi Poison Control Center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has received a disturbing number of calls about children who found and ate marijuana candies and chocolates at home, making them sick enough to go to schools. emergency room.

In 2019, the poison control center only received two calls. This number rose to 36 last year, and 14 of them are under the age of 12.

Mississippi reflects a national trend. From 2017 to 2021, a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics showed a 1,375% increase in these exposures.

“The problem is probably underreported”: More children are being treated for eating marijuana gummies and other edibles at home

Pot for pain relief? : What cannabis can (and can’t) do for chronic pain.

According to the study, children under the age of 6 who accidentally consumed cannabis edibles rose from 207 cases in 2017 to 3,014 cases in 2021 and almost a quarter of these young children were hospitalized.

The number of cases has increased as more states legalize medical and recreational cannabis products, said study co-author Dr. Marit Tweet, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Officials fear the number is on the rise now that medical marijuana has become legal in Mississippi. Over the past 10 days, Mississippi officials said they received four calls involving children under the age of 6.

Toxicologist and emergency physician Dr. David Vearrier of the University of Mississippi Medical Center said side effects can be extremely dangerous in young children.

HEALTH: Heavy marijuana use should be disclosed before surgery, new guidelines say

“The most common side effects are depression of mental status and drowsiness as well as decreased breathing in some cases,” Vearrier said. “Sometimes acute agitation is also a factor.”

Vearrier said edibles for children are toxic and more dangerous given that they weigh less than adults.

On average, the University of Mississippi Medical Center treats about two to six children who have ingested marijuana-based candy, officials said.

Vearrier said he thinks kids get their hands on edibles at home and adults know the proper amount to eat, but a child doesn’t, which can lead to hospitalization.

“Marijuana-infused brownies and gummies are the most common edibles consumed by children,” Vearrier said.

Since 2014, when Colorado became the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, the availability and accessibility of marijuana edibles has increased.

Marijuana infused edibles are currently illegal in the state of Mississippi, which means they are either bought out of state and brought back, or illegally manufactured in the state.

Contributor: Mike Snider, USA TODAY

USA Today

Not all news on the site expresses the point of view of the site, but we transmit this news automatically and translate it through programmatic technology on the site and not from a human editor.