Poison center reports due to children exposed to marijuana rose 245% from 2000 – 2020, according to a new study from researchers at the Oregon Health and Sciences University.
The study examined 338,727 cases of marijuana “misuse and abuse exposures” for children ages 6 through 18 years old reported to the National Poison Data System.
Overall, researchers found the most dramatic increase in marijuana exposure among children happened from 2017 to 2020 — which would seem to indicate that the problem is only getting worse.
In particular, researchers found that marijuana edibles — food or candy laced with marijuana or its psychoactive chemicals like THC — “accounted for the highest increase in call [to Poison Control Centers] rates compared with all other forms of marijuana.”
The study’s findings highlight growing concerns about how marijuana legalization hurts children.
In October, Arkansas Children’s Hospital voiced concerns about a proposal that would have legalized marijuana in Arkansas, saying,
Even with age restrictions, any policy that leads to increased adult use of marijuana is likely to lead to increased adolescent use, despite attempts to restrict sales to underage youth. This is of critical concern because of the potential harmful impact of marijuana exposure on children and adolescents.
To put it another way, children may be the unintended victims of marijuana legalization.
All of this underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
