According to data from America’s Poison Centers, from 2016 to 2022, marijuana edible-related poison control calls among children aged 0-12 years old increased 3,311%:
- 2016: 187 calls
- 2017: 343 calls
- 2018: 816 calls
- 2019: 1,364 calls
- 2020: 3,132 calls
- 2021: 4,354 calls
- 2022: 6,379 calls
This trend is exacerbated by kid-friendly edible packaging and product design. Products are often sold in colorful packaging and are made to look like and taste like candies, cookies, and other snacks. Many toddlers eat these THC products not knowing that they are in fact marijuana. Additionally, many users fail to properly store marijuana products, leaving them accessible to kids.
This issue has worsened alongside the legalization and commercialization of marijuana, which has ushered in a for-profit industry that makes products that are increasingly attractive to minors. States should ban packaging that appeals to kids and require dispensaries to sell marijuana products in child-proof containers.