Decriminalizing marijuana may land more children in the emergency room, according to a recent study.
States that have abolished criminal penalties for the use of pot have seen dramatic increases in children requiring medical intervention, despite the overall number of unintentional exposure among children remaining low.
Researchers said in a statement that they believe edible products with a high-dose of marijuana- such as candies, cookies and chocolates - may have played a significant role in the increased rate of reported exposure mainly because kids cannot distinguish between products that contain marijuana and those that don't.
"These edible products may be attractive to children and tend to contain higher concentrations of the active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol," lead study author George Sam Wang of the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center in Denver, Colo., said in a statement.
Between 2005 and 2011, the call rate to poison centers in states that decriminalized marijuana increased by more than 30 percent per year, while the call rate in non-legal states did not change.
Based their findings, more pediatric exposures in decriminalized states than non-legal states required medical evaluation, had moderate to major clinical effects and required critical care admissions. Researchers said neurologic effects were the most common.
The most common therapy was administration of intravenous fluids. Aggressive interventions were rare and there were no deaths.
As of December 2013, 18 states and the District of Columbia had passed legislation allowing medical marijuana, which includes many edible products. Sales of these products are projected to more than double between 2011 and 2015.
"Pediatricians, toxicologists and emergency physicians need to be willing to advocate for the safety of children to lawmakers as this burgeoning industry expands across the U.S.," said Dr. Wang.
Wang warns that as more states decriminalize marijuana, lawmakers should consider requirements -such as child-resistant packaging, warning labels and public education - to reduce the likelihood of ingestion by young children."
