Reports of children consuming marijuana are increasing as its use becomes more widespread.

DALLAS, TX (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Currently, 24 states and Washington DC have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. However, as marijuana use becomes legal and widespread, the number of children harmed by consuming marijuana-containing products also increases. Legal or illegal, whether you vote yes or no, this is a warning all parents need to hear.

this year Maine A new record has been set for the number of children accidentally eating marijuana. And one iowa daddy He was charged after his four-year-old child ate a THC bar.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says marijuana products designed to look and taste like regular food or candy make them highly appealing and dangerous to children. The number of children sent to the emergency room for marijuana poisoning has increased by more than 1,000 percent in just five years, and pediatricians warn that anything infused with THC could be harmful to children.

“They may experience dizziness, they may hallucinate, they may have a high heart rate, they may have slurred speech, they may have breathing problems, so they may have really frightening symptoms,” explains Dominic Lucia, MD, Emergency Medicine Physician at Baylor Scott & White Health.

The active ingredient of marijuana is THC. This is the chemical that makes you feel “high.” But both short and long term dangers for children, including problems with nerve connections that can affect memory, learning and IQ. It can also cause mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. It also increases the risk of substance use later in life. That’s why it’s important to get help right away if you think your child has eaten or smoked THC.

“They need to be evaluated and supportive care can often be given,” says Dr. Lucia.

Unlike smoking, which produces an immediate effect, THC edibles can take 30 minutes to an hour to kick in and up to three or four hours to reach full potency. The intensity of the effects varies depending on your child’s size, just as medications can affect people differently. If you think it’s yours the child may have consumed THCCall the Poison Control Center helpline immediately at 1-800-222-1222.

Contributors to this report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.

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