Edible Marijuana Overdoses Reported to US Poison Control Centers on Rise

THC poisonings on the rise with marijuana commercializationThe age groups with the most calls were children less than five years old (109 calls) and adolescents ages 13-19 (78 calls).

From, “The Marijuana Report
Researchers analyzed exposure calls coded to marijuana edibles that were reported to the National Poison Data System from January 2013 to December 2015. Four-hundred and thirty calls were reported.
The two states that had implemented recreational marijuana legalization by then had the most exposures:
Colorado—166, or 1.05 per 100,000

Washington—96, or .46 per 100,000

Three-hundred and eighty-one (91%) calls occurred in states with medical and recreational marijuana, and the number of calls increased each year of the study.

The age groups with the most calls were children less than five years old (109 calls) and adolescents ages 13-19 (78 calls).

The most frequent clinical effects were drowsiness/lethargy (43%), tachycardia (31%), agitated/irritable (14%) and confusion (14%). The youngest children suffered the most intense effects.

Three patients had to be intubated (ages 4, 10, and 57); 23% were managed at home, 50% were treated and released; 3% were admitted to a critical care unit.

The researchers speculate that increasing edibles exposures may be related to delayed absorption of THC, lack of packaging regulations, increased availability of edibles in legal states, and increased familiarity of poison control center specialists with edible products to code events properly.

They conclude” “Edible marijuana exposures are increasing and may lead to severe respiratory depression.”

Read “Characterization of Edible Marijuana Product Exposures Reported to United States Poison Centers” here.