Officials from the University of Washington School of Medicine are cautioning adults who consume cannabis, or pot edibles (candy laced with marijuana) to keep them away from children during the holidays.
Accidental child overdoses rise during the holidays
A UW Medicine Pediatrician, Dr. Beth Ebell, made this statement in the November 16th UW release:
“Cannabis edibles often come in exuberant, candylike packaging. Their broad legal availability in Washington and Oregon heightens children’s risk. A study published this year reported more than 7,000 confirmed cases of U.S. children under age 6 ingesting edibles between 2017 and 2021, according to the National Poison Data System. Researchers said 97% of the exposures occurred in a residential setting.”
Also, according to the UW release, there have been no safety studies on these products, surprisingly, and they can have significant and sometimes irreversible effects on a child or minor.
UW officials strongly recommend adults who consume pot edibles purchase a medication safe to store them and put it in a location where children are least likely to look for candy.
Increasing numbers of children nationally are accidentally overdosing, and the numbers do go up during the holidays.
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