What Happens – And What You Can Do – If Your Kid Accidentally Ingests Edibles
There have been increasing reports of children accidentally ingesting marijuana edibles.
This has become a cause for alarm among parents and concerned adults nationwide. However, this is to be expected as more adults consume marijuana than ever in a multitude of forms.
Kids aged 3 to 5 are the most vulnerable to accidentally eating cannabis edibles. This is likely due to parents being slightly more relaxed with children this age, allowing them to go on with less supervision at home. In addition, toddlers within this age range exhibit more curiosity and will likely try to get their hands on treats that were previously communicated to them as off limits.
This is not the fault of cannabis legalization. Instead, it’s a symptom of a few things that need to improve.
For one, edible manufacturers can do a better job at disguising their products more effectively so as not to make them look tempting to children. Some state regulators have already cracked down on cannabis edibles, especially the production of colorful packaging, candies, and fruit chews which all resemble kids’ candies. Another is that parents simply have to be more mindful about how and where they store cannabis edibles in their home.
After all, cannabis is much like medicine for most of us. So you should take the same precautions necessary in hiding them, the same way you would hide prescription drugs from your kids and keep them out of reach.
What Happens If A Kid Accidentally Eats An Edible?
If a child accidentally eats edibles, their symptoms may vary depending on how much THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) it contains. Kids who eat CBD (cannabidiol) candies or gummies will likely not experience severe symptoms, other than drowsiness or sleepiness. Even though THC and CBD both come from marijuana, THC is the cannabinoid that is responsible for its psychoactive effects and the high.
Kids who eat lots of CBD gummies will not overdose or have any severe reactions, or at least the risk is extremely minimal. However, those who do eat high amounts of THC may have some uncomfortable reactions. That said, kids may experience intoxication, panic, slurred speech, dizziness, paranoia, slow heart rate, and poor coordination after ingesting THC edibles. For older kids and teenagers, this may impair their concentration and memory.
What Parents Should Do
Parents should stay calm and try to find out how many edibles your child may have consumed. If your child ate one 5mg candy, they will likely not feel strong effects. But if they consumed a 25mg gummy a few minutes ago, you can expect them to feel its effects soon and thus should monitor them closely.
Take note that there is no standard THC dose that has been established to be dangerous to children.
For adults who have consumed THC edibles accidentally, there would usually be no need to panic provided you have someone around you who can care for you. Unfortunately, this can be rather challenging and dangerous for kids because they have much smaller bodies than we do, and can feel severe discomfort along with their “high”. It will vary from one child to the other based on their metabolism and their size. Generally speaking, one 5mg dose will make a kid sleepy but consuming anything above 10mg should require a visit to a medical professional. The last thing you want is to see your child struggling with breathing and feeling very ill.
It would be wise for parents to take their children to the nearest poison control center, or at least give them a call. Poison control centers are not judgmental and are already experienced with these kinds of situations. Upon arrival in the hospital, medical professionals will likely do a quick blood test to check how much THC is in your child’s system. If needed, they may give oxygen or put an IV to support your child until they have metabolized the THC and it’s left their system.
Parents should also remember that depending on where you live and what the state marijuana laws are like, the hospital may call Child Protective Services. This is to ensure that there is no neglect happening at home. They basically want to make sure that parents aren’t being careless by leaving THC gummies in areas of the house that can easily be accessed by children, such as the dining table or kitchen counter.
How To Keep Edibles Away From Children
It’s nothing short of an inconvenience to have to deal with Child Protective Services or Poison Control…. But it’s also seriously scary to see your child suffering when they accidentally ingested edibles.
Parents, take heed: this can all be avoided when you put proper precautions in place. Here’s what you can do to prevent your kids from accidentally eating cannabis edibles:
-
Treat your edibles the way you would pharmaceutical drugs. This means locking them up and keeping them far from children’s reach. Oftentimes, putting them in child-resistant containers may not even be sufficient for older kids.
-
Don’t eat cannabis edibles in front of your children. This might sound like common sense, but some parents may actually forget this. Remember that many edibles on the market these days are packaged with colorful wrapping, intended to mimic the look of actual children’s candy.
-
Purchase edibles with child-proof packaging. Simply don’t spend your money on edibles that already look enticing to children.
Conclusion
Keeping your cannabis edibles away from children is your key to enjoying marijuana with peace of mind. With a few simple precautions from the get go, you can avoid the dangers and discomforts of taking care of your child after they’ve accidentally ingested edibles.
KIDS EATING EDIBLES, READ ON...
