Timmy’s eyes were rolling in his head as his lethargic body refused to listen to his mother’s calls. He was transported to the hospital and placed in intensive care. The 4-year-old consumed one of his mother’s cannabis-infused, rainbow-sherbet-flavored candies and ended up in a coma due to marijuana toxicity.
THC, the euphoric component in marijuana, has no antidote, so Timmy had to wait and detox over the next few days. Between 2017 and 2021, 7,043 children under the age of six were exposed to cannabis in the United States. The National Poison Data System reports a 1,375% increase in kid exposure.
Children’s Hospital diagnosis data revealed that 15% of marijuana-related hospital visits required hospitalization and 4% required mechanical ventilation. According to preliminary data from Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego from 2014 to 2022, 73% of pediatric poisonings were caused by fruity candies.
This was followed by chocolate at 12 percent, brownies at 9 percent, and cookies at 3 percent. The increasing availability and potency of marijuana have led to a rise in childhood marijuana poisonings. The amount of THC found in cannabis samples confiscated by the DEA rose from 4% in 1995 to 15.3% in 2021.
Yet, these statistics are deceptive; concentrates with over 90% THC may be found at any cannabis dispensary or online. THC with a high concentration might behave like a hard drug, such as methamphetamine. In December 2022, four middle school students in California swallowed an unknown chemical.
Three of them were transported to the hospital for what doctors believed was a fentanyl overdose. They were relieved, but it was not fentanyl; it was “simply” cannabis-infused candies. These children were poisoned at school and experienced terrible side effects.
Dosage in children is a significant concern. One 10 mg THC candy can cause psychosis in an adult. It can induce altered mental status, encephalopathy, and delirium in children. Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that children’s cognitive development makes them prone to exposure.
Infants go through a time in which they put everything in their mouths. Children are naturally drawn to candies, sweet flavors, and aesthetically pleasing packaging. It is hardly unexpected that kids be poisoned by edibles given that they lack the developmental competence to use a vape.
Another disadvantage of edibles is that they deliver a dose significantly more slowly than smoking. THC, like most oral medications, must pass through the stomach, liver, and bloodstream before reaching the brain, which causes edibles to take 30 to 60 minutes longer to take action.
This delay may lead children to consume more gummies before experiencing problems. Moreover, it takes longer to digest edible items than smoking ones. The signs of cannabis intoxication in youngsters manifest as brain consequences.
THC is a lipophilic substance, which means it is drawn to the fatty parts of the brain, and the brain is one of the fattest organs. Changes in awareness, seizures, lack of coordination, lethargy, irritability, and excessive sleep can occur in children. On May 6, Tanner Clements, age 4, ate his mother’s THC delta-8 gummies.
His mother contacted the poison control center, but it was too late. Two days after being placed on life support, Tanner passed away. Delta-8 THC and several psychotropic cannabinoids generated from hemp were proclaimed legal despite their lack of safety.
Hemp seeds in a salad or hemp fabric are permissible, but making psychotic medicines available in candy form on Amazon constitutes child abuse by our legal system. Cannabis use can change the development of the brain. In addition, we know that the human brain continues to develop until the age of 25 and begins to do so during the third week of gestation.
Longitudinal research of Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) revealed that prenatal cannabis exposure is associated with an elevated mental health burden that remains from childhood to early adolescence. The research indicates that cannabis has genotoxic effects on sperm and human development.
Similar to how cigarettes are a danger factor for lung cancer and heart disease, THC is an acknowledged risk factor for mental health risks. The U.S. Surgeon General published Advice on Marijuana Usage and the Developing Brain for this reason.
If children begin smoking at an early age, they are more likely to continue as adults. During these years, the likelihood of developing an addiction is up to seven times greater than in an adult brain. Getting children hooked early on develops customers for life.
The FDA was pleased to propose a rule barring flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes, as well as preventing the initiation of minors. The state of California has enacted a prohibition on flavored tobacco products. Where is the safeguard for children with flavored and candied cannabis?
In Quebec, Canada, the introduction of child safety regulations with THC potency limitations and no permitted edibles did not increase the number of children who were poisoned by marijuana-infused edibles. Why do we have wheetos that resemble Cheetos, Stoney Patch that resemble Sour Patch, Stoneo that resembles Oreos, and adorable, multicolored gummy bears?
It is possible for adults to consume recreational drugs without endangering children. They have no need for lollipops. There are numerous alternatives for adults to obtain THC. As a society, we must protect our children, and the presence of psychotropic “candy” is a formula for disaster. To safeguard minors, the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC) suggests:
Childproof packaging, as opposed to child-resistant packaging. Similar to the current situation with cannabis products, childproofing of medications was instituted due to childhood poisoning. Decreasing the potency of THC Prohibiting cannabis candies, flavors, and packaging that are appealing to children, including any hemp-derived THC isomers such as THC-8.
