UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center reports that calls for children unintentionally consuming edible marijuana products nearly tripled from 2021 to 2022.
In 2021, the center received 26 calls and last year received 77 calls regarding edibles. Approximately 68 percent of calls involve children 5 years old and younger. Most of these children required hospitalization.
According to UVA Health medical toxicologist Dr. Chris Holstege, the poison center’s medical director, most cases are caused by toddlers mistaking edible marijuana products for candy.
“As an adult, I cannot tell the difference between some of the edible cannabis products now emerging on the market because the products closely mimic available candies such as caramels and gum drops,” Holstege said.
Symptoms for children include markedly rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, vomiting, confusion, hallucinations, profound sedation and seizures.
“I worry that based on the current yearly trend increases associated with the rapid emergence of stores that sell edible cannabis products, we will continue to encounter increasing numbers of adverse events in Virginia with children who require hospitalizations,” Holstege said.
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Rebecca Barnabi
