More kids hospitalized for cannabis poisonings after edibles legalized, study finds – CBC

Alberta, B.C. and Ontario saw spike in cases

Aug 24, 2022

The average number of kids hospitalized for unintentional cannabis poisonings spiked in some provinces after they legalized edibles, according to a new study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Ontario-based researchers also found that three such provinces — Alberta, B.C. and Ontario — saw twice the increase in pediatric hospitalizations than Quebec, which prohibited edibles at the time of the study.

“Unlike adults where they would mostly get high, maybe a little bit drowsy, when young children ingest edibles, they may become very, very sick. We’ve seen kids with seizures, kids who stopped breathing,” said Dr. Yaron Finkelstein, a senior author of the study and staff physician at SickKids Hospital in Toronto.

“Their symptoms, especially in young children, can be more severe and can be life-threatening.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/cannabit-edibles-poisoning-kids-1.6561003

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