As states loosen polices toward criminalization of marijuana, children may be more likely to accidentally ingest the drug, says a report published in JAMA Pediatrics.
Researchers from the Children's Hospital Colorado compared admissions from two periods, January 2005-September 2009 and October 2009-December 2011, which marks the state's introduction of new legislation. In the first period, there were no marijuana-related visits for kids 12 and under, while in the second period there were 14 such cases.
In the 14 cases, eight had consumed medical marijuana, while seven had eaten marijuana in foods:
"Similar to many accidental medicinal pediatric exposures, the source of the marijuana in most cases was the grandparents, who may not have been available during data collection," the researchers wrote in a statement.
There is a wide range of symptoms for children who've accidentally ingested marijuana including anxiety, hallucinations, panic episodes, dyspnea, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, somnolence, central nervous system depression, respiratory depression and coma.
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