Safety concerns as Ohio's Cannabis market develops
There's encouraging news for adults who voted to legalize weed in Ohio.
But that's countered by new numbers showing how many young people are eating THC-infused gummies before they're readily available at dispensaries.
First, when it comes to legal pot for adults, Ohio's Division of Cannabis Control has proposed issuing dual-use licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries that are currently operating.
If approved, recreational sales would start at those dispensaries by early September.
But, against that backdrop is sobering news about kids consuming edibles and gummies, especially a close cousin of marijuana called Delta 8.
Last year, parents of 246 young children — from infants to 5-year-olds — called Ohio's poison control hotline because their kids ate a gummy.
That's almost a 200 percent increase from four years ago.
The number of teens eating THC-infused gummies also shot up, with many requiring a trip to the emergency room.
"One thing that has been seen a lot more, especially with adolescents, is things like hallucinations and psychosis. We used to never really see that with people, just, say, smoking pot, and we are starting to see a lot more of that. And it probably does have to do with the enrichment of the THC component," said Dr. Shan Yin, the medical director of the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center.
Even more concerning, just this week, we reported multiple students at Colerain Middle School were treated after police said they took THC-infused gummies at school.
It's not clear yet where or how the students got those edibles.
