Illinois sees significant rise in children hospitalized for accidentally ingesting edible marijuana products
124 children were hospitalized in Cook County, Illinois, for ingesting THC edibles in 2021 compared to 3 in 2017
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Illinois has witnessed a significant spike in the number of children hospitalized after eating marijuana-infused edibles causing concern from local healthcare providers.
In 2017, only three children were hospitalized after unknowingly consuming edibles, WFLD-TV reported. In 2021, that number ballooned to 124.
The outlet reported that the most common age range for accidental ingestion is between 2 and 3 years old.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If you think about one gummy it may have 10 milligrams of THC, an adult dose," Illinois Poison Center Medical Director Dr. Michael Wahl said. "But what child is going to eat just one gummy? Right? They’ll eat the entire bag. 100 milligrams. 500 milligrams. Which are gargantuan amounts."
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Sunnyside Chews cannabis edible gummies at a Cresco Labs Inc. facility in Indiantown, Florida, on Monday, March 28, 2022. (Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Children often confuse the marijuana edibles with candy and can be hospitalized with symptoms including drowsiness, loss of muscle control and coordination, increased heart rate, seizure, psychosis and even coma.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Doctors also warn that cannabis can be highly toxic to children due to the effects on brain development.
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An employee for Weed World Candies sells $5 lollipops from a truck that sits parked on lower Broadway in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
"They are lethargic, they’re somnolent, they are hard to wake up, they may have trouble walking and falling over," Wahl explained.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wahl encouraged parents to store edibles away from children high up and out of their reach in packaging that does not entice them.
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A rearview of ill girl sitting on a hospital bed. (iStock)
"It is remarkable the increase that we’ve seen since legalization vs. post legalization and as it increases across from 30 states to 50 states or whatever the number is, we’re going to see more of these cases across the nation."