MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Changing marijuana laws & treats may send more kids to ER

May 28, 2013, 8:36 AM | Updated: 9:45 am

Brownies, gummy candies and other treats spiked with marijuana are often used by medicinal users wh...

Brownies, gummy candies and other treats spiked with marijuana are often used by medicinal users who prefer not to smoke. (KIRO Radio Photo/Linda Thomas/File)

(KIRO Radio Photo/Linda Thomas/File)

The tricks that make marijuana palatable for some medicinal uses might also make it tempting for young kids.

Brownies, gummy candies and other treats spiked with marijuana are often used by medicinal users who prefer not to smoke. But a report in the JAMA Pediatrics warns edibles may also lead to more children being hospitalized by the drug.

In the two years after the feds decided not to prosecute legal marijuana users, the Colorado Children’s Hospital in Denver said they saw 14 children come through their doors with THC in their system.

Unusual drowsiness and unsteady walking were among the symptoms. One child, a 5-year-old boy, had trouble breathing. Eight children were hospitalized. Two of those children had symptoms serious enough to warrant a trip to the intensive care unit.

Some children came in laughing, glassy-eyed or “acting a little goofy and `off,'” Wang said. Many had eaten medical marijuana food items, although nonmedical marijuana was involved in at least three cases. The children were younger than 12 and included an 8-month-old boy.

In the four years before the rule change, they say they hadn’t had a single case.

In a journal editorial, two Seattle poisoning specialists say that at least seven more states are considering legalizing medical marijuana and that laws that expand marijuana use likely will lead to more children sickened.

KIRO Radio’s Kim Shepard and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

MyNorthwest News

Image: Brightly colored eggs are set on a table on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington,...

Ted Buehner

Expect good Easter weekend weather for egg hunts, chilly evening Mariners games

Both Saturday and Sunday of Easter weekend will feature temperatures warming to around 60 degrees across much of Western Washington.

2 hours ago

Taylor Swift performs onstage during the Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Lumen Field on July 22, 20...

Micki Gamez, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

Seattle tourism dollars break records following All-Star Week, Taylor Swift

It was a record-setting year for dollars flowing into Seattle from tourists.

3 hours ago

Image: A bridge in Carnation....

Julia Dallas

Carnation frustrated with Seattle again after 8th false emergency alarm induces widespread panic

Carnation citizens have faced a series of panic-inducing alarms after SPU's system for the Tolt Dam falsely sounded eight times.

4 hours ago

Grocery store shopper...

Bill Kaczaraba

Ways to deal with Seattle grocery store sticker shock

Seattle grocery store sticker shock continues to play havoc on locals, but there are ways to counter high prices.

4 hours ago

belltown hellcat social media...

Frank Sumrall

Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ social media influencer charged with reckless driving

The social media influencer has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat.

5 hours ago

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

8 hours ago

Changing marijuana laws & treats may send more kids to ER