Copycat Cannabis Sends Kid to Emerge
Mom Mistakes Cannabis Edibles in Bright Packaging for Candy – LPC
For anyone who feels that cannabis edibles shouldn’t be marked… A two-year-old child in BC was recently rushed to the emergency department. His mother had accidently given him a package of copycat cannabis that looked like a candy bag.
“It so shocked and appalled me,” said Dr. Jane Pegg, a paediatrician in Nanaimo, BC. “The package looked almost identical to gummies that are sold as candies in the store.”
The copycat cannabis had packaging that made it look like Sour Patch Kids. Not only is it illegal to sell in Canada, the company making the cannabis gummies was sued for copyright infringement.
“I don’t know why the companies that are selling these products are not being shut down, not being fined, not being charged,” Dr. Pegg said.
Another doctor working in the same emergency department said she had treated other kids who had been accidentally dosed with copycat cannabis.
Pegg’s colleague, Dr. Jodi Turner, has seen similar poisonings in the same ER.
“Sometimes [children] need to be kept on a monitor,” said Dr. Jodi Turner. “You’re looking for whether or not their heart is stable. You’re looking at whether or not they develop seizures or need a ventilator to breathe.”
It’s a problem that happens in many ERs as a Harvard study on cannabis edibles safety showed.
Where’s the Line When It Comes to Copycat Cannabis and Legal Marketing?
There is a strong case to be made to allow some forms of cannabis marketing. Branding of course helps companies differentiate themselves. There is also evidence to suggest that cannabis marketing can reduce stigma.
But it’s clear that illegal copycat cannabis gummies like the ones in this case go too far. The last thing anyone wants is for kids to spend nights in hospitals. Read the article below to learn more about what the government is trying to do about it.
Click here to view full story at www.cbc.ca
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