More young people going to ER due to cannabis

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Over recent years, more and more states have legalized the use of medical or recreational marijuana, leading to these products being present in more households.

This increase in marijuana product presence has caused cannabis-involved ER visits to increase in children.

While Dr. Brandon Lane, an emergency physician at St. Bernards Hosptial, said there hasn’t been a large increase in our area, there was more than a 200% increase in cannabis-involved ER trips in children under the age of 11 in the United States since the pandemic.

According to the report released Thursday, the CDC said that emergency room visits in children were higher during the pandemic compared to 2019.

Currently, 38 states have legalized marijuana medically and 23 have legalized it recreationally.

Packaging for edibles and other products containing THC from dispensaries can appear to just be candy to children, and Dr. Lane said that consumption of these products by children usually isn’t intentional.

“It’s important to keep the medication, the cannabis, locked up in a safe place so the pediatric population or those who have had substance abuse problems in the past cannot gain access to cannabis,” Lane said.

With more people bringing cannabis products into their homes, Dr. Lane has one important message.

“Please lock your medications up.”

The CDC suggests keeping cannabis products in a locked box and out of reach of children to prevent unintentional ingestion.

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