Youngstown Police See Increase in Children Eating THC Edibles

youngstown, ohio (WKBN) – Ohio voters passed Issue 2 in November to legalize recreational marijuana.

Local Youngstown police here have confirmed a significant increase in children becoming seriously ill from eating pot-infused foods.

Youngstown Police are asking parents and caregivers to keep edible items away from children.

A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics found that the number of calls to poison control centers for children under 6 who ingested cannabis-infused products increased from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021. .

According to the report, about 97% of children found the edible item at home. Children find marijuana edibles in their homes that look like regular snacks, but end up experiencing harmful, sometimes life-threatening reactions.

Lt. Jason Simon of the Youngstown Police Department would like to reiterate that marijuana is only legal in Ohio for consumers over the age of 21. It's also legal to put marijuana in consumables, but it's often done in a way that's very attractive to children. He advises these people to keep edible food locked away, or at least in an elevated area out of reach of children.

“These consumables are very typical and colorful and especially appealing to young children who may not know the difference between a regular brownie and a brownie that may contain THC,” Captain Simon said.

Captain Simon says if your child eats food with pot lace on your watch, you could face serious legal problems. All laws still apply to child endangerment, which can range from a misdemeanor to a felony under the Ohio Revised Statutes.

Lt. Simon said the Youngstown Police Department is currently investigating many of these incidents.

Of the nearly 3,300 Delta-8 THC exposures in 2022, 1,365 were in children under the age of 12, according to data from the National Toxic Substances Data System.

“We all know very well that children will find a way to get things, so locking them up in a way that is not easily accessible to young children or even people under 21 is certainly the way to go. Possessing them is permitted and encouraged,” Captain Simon said.

Captain Simon said he has seen many cases where children who have ingested edible marijuana end up in the emergency room with severe reactions that require intubation.

https://www.wkbn.com/news/local-news/youngstown-news/youngstown-police-see-increase-in-kids-eating-thc-edibles/ Youngstown Police See Increase in Children Eating THC Edibles