New research reveals that laxer marijuana legislation may be why more children are accidentally ingesting and getting poisoned by marijuana, CBS News reports. The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, looked at accidental marijuana ingestion rates at a Colorado children's hospital before and after October 2009.
Prior to September 30, 2009, zero of 790 accidental marijuana poisoning cases were for marijuana, the study found, but after October 1, 2009 the number jumped from 14 of 588 cases.
"We have seen an increase in unintentional ingestions of marijuana by children since the modification of drugs laws in Colorado," study author Dr. George Wang, a clinical instructor in pediatrics at Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in a written statement. "Before the marijuana boom these kinds of edibles were not mass-produced and the amount of THC ingested was somewhat limited, but now we are seeing much higher strength marijuana."
Children are apparently getting their hands on more marijuana-laced brownies, cookies and beverages sold at medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado, which approved medical marijuana legislation in 2001 for people with certain conditions such as cancer, glaucoma and HIV/AIDs. In 2010, Colorado passed a state law providing a framework for medical marijuana dispensaries.
The study evaluated around 1,400 pediatric patients under 12 at the hospital's emergency room for unintentional marijuana ingestion. Kids who ate the pot products showed symptoms like fatigue, respiratory distress and difficulty walking, but recovered within a few days.
Wang said that medical marijuana grown today can be much stronger than other forms of the drug, with higher levels of THC, the drug's active ingredient. He added that doctors may not be used to recognizing the symptoms associated with accidental marijuana ingestion, and parents of these children may also not be as willing to admit their kids got into their pot cookies.
"The legalization of recreational marijuana, especially the solid and liquid-infused forms permitted in Washington, will provide children greater access to cookies, candies, brownies and beverages that contain marijuana," the researchers wrote. "Parents and providers should be encouraged to call the Poison Center for data collection, information, education, and management advice."
