Toxicologist and Emergency Medicine physician Dr. David Vearrier at the University of Mississippi Medical Center previously told the USA TODAY Network the side effects of marijuana edibles can be extremely dangerous in young children. “The most common side effects are mental status depression and sleepiness as well as decreased breathing in some cases,” Vearrier said. “Sometimes acute agitation is a factor as well.” Edibles made with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, can come in the form of gummies, chocolates, lollipops, drinks, chips, cookies, and other baked goods. Because children often don’t realize how potent each piece can be and they are smaller than adults, “a higher milligram/kilogram dose is ingested, which puts children at risk for increased toxicity from these exposures,” the researchers behind the 2023 study said. Dope ropes, THC Doritos: Our patchwork pot laws and kids can pay the price, experts say. A child might also easily mistake many of the products for a regular snack, Marit Tweet, an emergency medicine physician, and medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, said in a statement accompanying the study. The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent cease and desists letters in 2023 to six companies with marijuana products that resembled Doritos, Cheetos, gummy bears, and other candies with nearly identical packaging to the original brands, as they did in the California case. But, the FTC said all it can do is “strongly encourage sellers to review all of their marketing and product packaging.” Meanwhile, some states, including Illinois, require edible packaging to not appeal to children and restrict the total amount of THC allowed per package, Tweet previously told USA TODAY. Contributing: Emilee Coblentz, Natalie Neysa Alund, and Mike Snider, USA TODAY; Joshua Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 11 New York middle school students hospitalized after taking edibles.
