Canada: officials urge action to keep edible marijuana away from kids
The Guardian 11 November 2018
Family First Comment: Next time the Drug Foundation or a Green MP says how great Canada ?? is, mention this story…
“federal legislation prohibits the sale of edible versions of the drug until at least 2019. The law, however, has done little to stop online retailers and physical stores from openly selling brownies and candies infused with cannabis throughout the country. Ontario and Alberta have already experienced nearly 600 cases of poisoning last year for patients under the age of 20, nearly twice the figure for 2014. The two provinces also saw 24 children under the age of four taken to emergency rooms after eating cannabis edibles last year”
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Following a sharp increase in cannabis poisoning among young people, Canadian health professionals are calling for tighter controls to keep edible marijuana products away from minors.
Canada last month became the second country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, but federal legislation prohibits the sale of edible versions of the drug until at least 2019. The law, however, has done little to stop online retailers and physical stores from openly selling brownies and candies infused with cannabis throughout the country.
Ontario and Alberta have already experienced nearly 600 cases of poisoning last year for patients under the age of 20, nearly twice the figure for 2014. The two provinces also saw 24 children under the age of four taken to emergency rooms after eating cannabis edibles last year, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said.
“We’ve seen a spike for sure,” said Dr Margaret Thompson, director of the Ontario Poison Centre. “Will we see a huge increase as they did in some of the United States? I can’t say for sure.”
Following legalization, a number of US states experienced a significant jump in the hospitalizations related to cannabis. Colorado quickly tightened rules around the previously unregulated edibles market as emergency visits set a new record. In a bid to keep the product unappealing to children, the revised state rules prevented products from resembling animals, fruit or people, and limiting their THC content.
Because the effect of cannabis is delayed when eaten – and ingesting a gummy bear or cookie is easier than smoking – doctors have greater concerns over poisoning cases with edibles.
READ MORE: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/11/canada-cannabis-marijuana-edible-children-warnings
