(WXYZ) — Recreational marijuana has been legal in Michigan since 2018, and cannabis use is up. But, marijuana poisonings are also up, not just in Michigan, but nationwide.
The National Poison Data System tracked a 245% rise in pediatric abuse and misuse of cannabis from 2000 to 2020, with the biggest increase happening from 2017-2020 when cannabis legalization really started to grow.
There are ways to keep kids safe from cannabis. Port Huron resident Dan Richmond uses cannabis for his high-functioning autism and pain from a service injury when he was in the military.
Richmond says he keeps his cannabis in his man cave in a box with a biometric fingerprint lock.
Dr. Varun Vorha, the director of the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center, says that's a good move. He points to a more than 10-year trend of increasing pediatric exposures to cannabis.
In 2021, his agency received about 445 calls about pediatric marijuana exposures, the largest portion involving edibles and kids 5 and under.
"In 2022, we already surpassed that number up until October. So clearly, it's still occurring. It's still an issue," Vorha said.
Vorha says in addition to keeping cannabis products out of sight and out of reach of children, only use the products when no kids are around. It’s easy to get distracted and leave the edibles in plain view.
"That's another big thing with the packaging, right? So, they can look like candy, they can often taste like candy. They're infused in different snack foods," he said.
While edibles are the biggest issue with little kids, vaping is a concern for older children. Vorha says vape products can be highly concentrated.
"So they do run into the risk of toxicity and adverse effects because it doesn't take as much to cause those effects," Vorha said.
Calls to the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center come from parents, medical professionals and hospitals, but they are voluntary and passive - meaning they only count cases that come to them. So he knows the cases he sees are just a fraction of the true statewide burden.
In most cases of so-called exploratory ingestion, you might see sleepiness, odd behavior even an elevated heart rate.
Keep a close eye on your child for a couple of hours, because edibles are slower to take effect. Never make a child vomit. It could lead to complications like pneumonia.
Richmond says he talks to his kids about cannabis because they'll learn one way or another.
"For them to have the education here first, I think is super important and then to see the right thing be done with storage," Richmond said.
In severe cases, marijuana can lead to difficulty breathing or a loss of consciousness. In those cases, get help right away.
If you have problems, you can visit mipoisonhelp.org or call them at 313-486-0078. They have experts available 24-7 to answer about any type of toxic substance and you don't have to wait until there is an exposure to get their insight.
