A new report reveals a staggering number of kids have gotten sick after inadvertently eating marijuana edibles.
The report by the American Association of Poison Control Centers shows more than 7,000 confirmed cases of kids younger than six years old who have eaten marijuana edibles were reported to the nation’s poison control centers between 2017 and 2021.
Cases went from about 200 to more than 3,000 per year. Doctors at several hospitals around the state say they've seen the increase firsthand.
"We had an older child ingest an edible and ended up in the hospital with very much paranoid delusions. This child had thought that he had died," Dr. Lucia Benzoni with Hartford HealthCare said.
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John Brancato, director of the emergency department at CT Children's added, "They could be unsteady, falling over, sleeping, difficult to arouse."
This comes as Connecticut prepares the retail market for recreational selling as early as next week.
Edible cannabis products, including baked goods, gummies and beverages, will be allowed in Connecticut’s adult-use market.
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"Sometimes a young child will be wandering around grandma's house and will find them in a nightstand," Brancato said.
Jessica Samantha, a new mom from Middletown, said she is adamant about keeping all THC products away from her 16 month old, adding her husband keeps his THC products in a bag, locked away in a separate room.
"The plan is once she figures out how to open doors and she could reach those handles we have a safe. We keep it all in the safe," Samantha said.
To prevent kids from accidentally ingesting an edible, retailers must follow strict rules when it comes to their food and beverage products containing cannabis, including:
- Packaging that cannot appeal to individuals under the age of 21 and must be child-safe
- Tamper-resistant and light-resistant
- Each item must have “THC” clearly stamped or marked
- No capsules, pills or tablets can be sold
Because doctors are mandated reporters, they must consult with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) if a child is treated after consuming a THC substance.
They said it's just another thing to consider when it comes to compromising the well-being of your child.
"We've seen a real acceptance across the country and in our society of THC and marijuana products and that doesn't mean they're safe for children so we have to take it seriously and keep them protected," Brancato said.
Recreational marijuana will hit the retail market in Connecticut on Jan. 10.
For more information on cannabis products that will be sold and how to protect your kids from accessing them, head to the state's website.
