Emergency Room Visits Rise For Oklahoma Children Who Accidentally Consume Edibles

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs said it is seeing an alarming increase in children hospitalized after accidently eating THC edibles, so health experts have a request of parents.

Medical experts said it can be confusing for kids when their parents won’t let them have what looks like a gummy bear. Experts said that is why a conversation is key for any parents who have medical marijuana cards. 

The Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information said they are getting an alarming number of calls about children who have consumed medical marijuana, since it became legal in our state.  

“Children are great mimics, and they want to do what mom and dad do,” said Scott Schaeffer, Managing Director for Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information. 

Schaeffer said in 2020 they saw about150 cases involving kids, a 900% increase in the past two years. Schaeffer suggests safely storing your prescriptions away from where a child can reach them.  

"If you've got a child that's a climber, very high up in the cabinets, possibly a locking cabinet,” Schaeffer said. 

Dr. Katherine Grant is the Medical Director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health. Her department saw 40 children hospitalized because of medical marijuana this past year. She said before, they saw only one or two cases a year.  

"These are kids who are just being kids, exploring their environment and come across something that looks tasty to eat,” Grant said.  

Dr. Grant said for teens, it is common to experience changes in behavior and stroke like symptoms after consuming medical marijuana, while smaller children might be confused, sleepy, clumsy, and even difficult to wake. That is why Grant said having conversations with your kids early on, is important. 

"Say, ‘this is medicine. This helps mom or dad with their anxiety or their pain and that it could be dangerous for you,” Dr. Grant said.  

Health professionals said they cannot stress it enough that edibles are not something to mess around with.  

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