Cannabis edibles often take the form of enticing candy, from gummy bears to chocolate bars. Unfortunately, this can make them attractive to young children, who often have no way of distinguishing these treats from those that are safe for them to have.
Since 2013, there has been a rise in children being sent to the emergency room after accidentally ingesting cannabis. After two recent incidents in Halifax and Vancouver Island, Jump! Radio reached out to our Medical Director, Dr. Michael Szabo, to speak more about the issue.
Although cannabis has recently been legalized, this legalization does not yet include cannabis edibles, and so there is an absence of public health education on the subject. This also means there is a lack of clear packaging on edible cannabis products to tell consumers exactly what’s in them.
This lack of information poses a problem. And, according to Dr. Szabo, it’s not only children who are subject to accidental cannabis overdose. Emergency rooms have seen a rise in visits from adults who have—knowingly or unknowingly—ingested too much cannabis, leading to frightening symptoms.
Dr. Szabo notes that the delayed onset in symptoms from edible cannabis can cause people to eat far more than they can tolerate before they begin to feel the effects. And with the legalization of cannabis now here, he’s concerned that the number of emergency room visits due to cannabis overdose will continue to increase.
The solution? Despite that cannabis edibles are not legal yet, Canadians need to have more reliable information on the subject. And Canadian parents need to remember that cannabis is a substance that needs to be kept safely away from children—just like alcohol and cigarettes.
For more on this issue, you can watch the segment and read the accompanying article here.
Read more about how we are changing the industry.
