With continually increasing use of cannabis in the US adult population, there has been a concurrent increase in accidental ingestion of cannabis edibles in children at a mean age of 25.2 months. From 2004 to 2018 there was a 13-fold increase in emergency department encounters in children under 6 years old due to cannabis ingestion.
Causes noted for this accidental ingestion include and are not limited to: unregulated packaging of cannabis edibles with many products packaged very similarly to popular children's snacks or candies; availability; cultural acceptance of cannabis use; variety of forms.
The authors assert that: "Immediate action must be taken to change the current trajectory of unintentional pediatric ingestion of edible cannabis products." Some suggestions include: a standardized screening tool to be used by health care professionals at annual wellness visits to identify homes in which cannabis is used; counseling of parents; cannabis education for physicians; screening and cannabis education of caregivers; safe storage innovations; advocacy for cannabis legislation, especially as regards to packaging, dosing and forms.
Full article title: The Continued Rise of Unintentional Ingestion of Edible Cannabis in Toddlers--A Growing Public Health Concern