Edible ingestion in kids up 30%: Ohio children’s hospital

DAYTON, Ohio ( WDTN ) — Dayton Children’s Hospital reported it’s seen an uptick in cases involving children accidentally consuming cannabis edibles.

NewsNation affiliate WDTN in Dayton, Ohio, spoke with a representative from the National Capital Poison Center who oversees this region — a 30% increase at Dayton Children’s has not gone unnoticed.

“Don’t be afraid of repercussions. We don’t want your kids getting sick at home — especially if it’s something serious,” said Dr. Maryann Amirshahi.

In 2023, Dayton Children’s saw a total of 47 cases throughout the whole year. So far this year, they’ve seen 66 with over a dozen of them since Aug. 6.

Dayton Children’s released a statement Friday, reading in part, “Edible marijuana products can look just like regular candies and snacks, making them incredibly dangerous for children.”

Amirshahi co-authored a position statement on the safety of recreational cannabis edibles in children in 2019 and has been keeping an eye on these trends for some time.

“A lot of kids won’t eat just one gummy or, you know, one bite of a piece of chocolate, for example, which is a normal adult serving when you’re talking about cannabis edibles,” Amirshahi said.

She says children will go on eating more edibles, thinking they’re just eating regular candy. This can lead to them eating dangerous amounts. When children ingest those larger doses of cannabis, extreme adverse health effects can happen.

“We can really see some more severe things like seizures and comas, and that’s where you really start to get into trouble,” Amirshahi said.

The number one way to prevent children from getting ahold of these products is by putting them away up high and out of sight. If you can, put it in a bag or safe that locks. Avoid eating cannabis edibles in front of your kids, so they’ll be less tempted to try it.

If a child has ingested marijuana, call 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.