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According to a public health researcher at UMbad Amherst, the findings highlight the need to better protect young people from high-concentration products.
After the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes in Mbadachusetts, the number of cannabis-related poison control appeals involving Commonwealth children and adolescents has doubled, according to a public health survey conducted by Jennifer Whitehill, injury prevention researcher at the University of Mbadachusetts, Amherst.
The increase in calls to the Poison Prevention and Control Center at Boston Children's Hospital has occurred despite the legislated mandate for packaging and warning labels and safety, and before the legalization of the recreational use of marijuana for adults.
Assistant Professor of Health Promotion and Policy at UMbad Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences. Credit: UMbad Amherst
"As states across the country adopt more permissive policies regarding marijuana, we need to do more to promote safe storage in households with children," said Whitehill, badistant professor of health promotion and policy and author main research published in the JAMA Network Open.
Whitehill and Calla Harrington, a UMbad Amherst alumni, badyzed the poison center's data in collaboration with the center's staff, including the medical director, Dr. Michele Burns, and Dr. Michael Chary. The research team looked at the center's data from 2009 to 2016 – four years before and four years after the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes in Mbadachusetts.
During the study period, the Poison Control Center received 218 calls from Mbadachusetts regarding cannabis exposure in children and adolescents aged 19 and under, including 98 single-substance and one-time calls. 120 multi-substance calls. These calls represent 0.15% of all poison control calls during this period for this age group.
"We are pleased to see that the incidence is relatively low, but we believe that these cases are preventable and that decision-makers and parents need to be aware of this, especially since the clinics are open for sale by adults. Said Whitehill. said.
Some highlights of the results:
- The number of calls for exposure to a single substance by cannabis increased by 140% over the study period, from 0.4 per 100,000 population before the legalization of marijuana to medical purposes at 1.1 per 100,000 population after legalization.
- Nearly 80% of calls to the poison control center came from health facilities and, in terms of medical results, most exposures had moderate and minor effects. Four cases with major effects and no deaths have been reported.
- Just over a quarter of cases were reported as unintentional, with 19.4% of calls involving children under 4 years of age.
Calls for edible cannabis products increased for most age groups, including 15 to 19 year olds. As other research has shown that the proportion of teenagers using marijuana remains about the same while marijuana laws are relaxed, this finding suggests that teens could be caught off guard by the effects potentially potent edible and concentrated extracts, says Whitehill.
The paper concludes, "This study suggests that states that liberalize marijuana policies should consider strengthening regulations to prevent unintentional exposure in young children and intensify efforts to prevent use by adolescents, paying particular attention to edible cannabis products and concentrated extracts ".
Whitehill says the next step will be to study the impact of marijuana legalization for adults, which came into effect at the end of 2016. Two years later, in November 2018, the retail stores of marijuana started to open.
"Given what we've seen here," says Whitehill, "I would expect calls to the poison center to increase even more."
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