Pubdate: Wed, 27 Jul 2016
Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL)
Copyright: 2016 Sun-Times Media, LLC
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/bf0vhqGQ
Website: http://www.suntimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81
Author: Ashley May, USA Today

COLO. KIDS ACCIDENTALLY INGESTING POT

Medical Study Shows 34% Rise in Cases of Pediatric Marijuana Exposure

As more Colorado adults become comfortable with marijuana in their 
homes, more young children are ingesting the drug, a new study reports.

The JAMA Pediatrics report notes Colorado saw an increase of 
pediatric marijuana cases by 34% annually, compared with 19% for the 
rest of the USA.

Coloradans are baking marijuana into chocolate chip cookies, brownies 
and pies and adding it to candy fruit chews and chocolate bars - all 
sweets that toddlers find irresistible. And, the edibles market is 
still in its infancy.

Kids stealing a cookie from the cookie jar aren't finding themselves 
in timeout; they are waking up in a regional poison center.

Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora saw 163 marijuana exposure 
cases in children younger than 10 from 2009 to 2015. Most of the 
children were about 2, and 48% of the cases involved edibles. Some of 
those children needed intensive care, a serious reminder to keep 
marijuana-infused treats under lock and key.

"Almost half of the patients seen in the children's hospital in the 
two years after legalization had exposures from recreational 
marijuana, suggesting that legalization did affect the incidence of 
exposures," the study states.

Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia 
allow legalized recreational marijuana.

And 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized forms of 
medical marijuana, while an additional 14 have taken measures to 
decriminalize the drug.
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