Children Accidentally Consume Marijuana-Laced Food

A new study shows an increase in the children accidentally consume marijuana-laced food after legalization of marijuana in Colorado.

Researchers at the University of Colorado examined children below 12 years of age after the relaxation of marijuana laws in 2009 in the state. The researchers said that number of calls to poison control centers about children unintentionally consuming marijuana-infused foods such as brownies, cookies and candies, increased sharply.

According to Dr. George Sam Wang, a medical toxicology fellow at the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, although the health problems in these children were mild, parents should be aware and keep the products out of reach of children.

"We are seeing increases in exposure to marijuana in young pediatric patients, and they have more severe symptoms than we typically associate with marijuana," he said.

In some cases children felt unusual drowsiness, poor balance. A 5-year-old kid has serious problem in breathing after accidentally taking marijuana-infused food. Dr Wang said that eight children were hospitalized of which two were admitted in the ICU. However, all of them recovered few days later.

Some of the symptoms recorded included unusual drowsiness, unstable balance to more serious cases in which one 5-year-old boy had trouble breathing. He said that in most of the cases children recover quickly. "They don't need more than a day or two of hospitalization," he said. "There were no deaths or lasting side effects."

Dr Wang advised that the marijuana-laced products should be sold in child resistant packaging. Colorado Department of Revenue ordered the packaging of the food items being done in child proof packaging by July 1.