Cannabis Poisonings on the Rise: SickKids
Toronto Hospital Reports Rise in the Intensity of Cannabis Poisonings – LPC
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto reports alarming stats for cannabis poisonings in children under 18 since legalization. The rate of intensive care visits tripled after legalization while unintentional poisonings quadrupled for children under 12.
“The main [finding is] that there’s been an increase in the severity of the poisons in children who were presented to SickKids emergency department with cannabis intoxication,” Dr. Yaron Finkelstein told CTV News. Dr. Finkelstein is an emergency pediatrician at SickKids and the lead researcher on the project. “The monthly number of cases did not significantly change, but the severity did.”
For children under 12, the main culprit is cannabis edibles. Edible use more than doubled post-legalization, and was “heavily tied” to intensive care admissions.
“Those (who) are really the sickest… are typically young toddlers who ingest edibles,” Dr. Finkelstein said. The implication was that these were homemade edibles, not store bought. “If you put cannabis in a brownie, in candies, chocolate chip cookies, those are visually attractive to young children and they’re also typically very concentrated, and that’s why we have more severe cases.”
For older children, smoking cannabis was the most common route to cannabis poisonings.
The study also found a rise in the number of emergency room visits for children with respiratory issues and altered mental states.
Doctors Warn Children Have Negative Reactions to Cannabis Poisonings – LPC
Dr. Finkelstein said that cannabis poisonings can have “significant negative impacts” on younger children including behavioural changes, seizures, respiratory depression, problems with co-ordination and balance, and coma. This is a big part of the reason why cannabis needs to be clearly marked, not dressed up in bright, copycat packaging, and kept away from children.
Although adults can visit the emergency room for cannabis overdose, the results are usually much less dire.
Dr. Finkelstein said more public health education on the dangers of cannabis is needed in Canada.
“Obviously, when [cannabis] is legal, it’s more abundant in the home,” Dr. Finkelstein said. “But many people are not aware that it can cause severe poisoning, especially to young children so the awareness of that is key.”
Cannabis poisonings have also been on the rise for dogs. Just another reminder that all cannabis – but especially edibles that can attract children – should be kept sealed and out of reach.
Read the Full Story on CTV News
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