NJ Kids Keep Ending Up in Hospitals After Eating Edibles. Lock Them Up.

The numbers keep climbing

For the fourth consecutive year, the New Jersey Poison Control Center has seen an increase in calls involving children who accidentally consumed cannabis edibles. The pattern is consistent: young children, usually under the age of 6, find unsecured gummies, brownies, or chocolates in the house and eat them. Nearly all of the incidents come down to the same root cause. Adults leave edibles within reach.

Nationally, the trend is stark. A January 2023 study in Pediatrics found that cases of accidental cannabis ingestion in children under 6 went from 207 in 2017 to more than 3,000 by 2021, an increase of roughly 1,375%. Around 1,600 children were hospitalized for complications during that four-year period, including for seizures, respiratory distress, and irregular heart rhythms. The problem has not slowed down since then.

Why edibles are more dangerous for kids

Three things make cannabis edibles particularly risky for children. First, they look like regular candy. A gummy is a gummy, and a 4-year-old has no reason to think otherwise. Second, the doses are calibrated for adults. A single adult serving might contain 10mg of THC, which is appropriate for a 170-pound grown-up but a massive overdose for a 30-pound toddler. Third, children's developing bodies process THC differently, and the effects are more severe at any given dose.

Dr. Lewis Nelson, chair of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, put it clearly. "Since edibles may be highly concentrated, limit the number of edibles you have at home if you live with young and school-aged children. Many edible products look and taste like store-bought treats and other food products, making it difficult for children to know the difference."

What happens when a child eats an edible

The symptoms can range from drowsiness and poor coordination to more serious effects like trouble breathing, seizures, and loss of consciousness. Some children end up in intensive care. In a small number of cases, the outcomes have been fatal, particularly when other factors were involved or when treatment was delayed.

Dr. Diane Calello, executive director of the NJ Poison Control Center, has described cases where toddlers woke up with night terrors, acted disoriented and "drunk," and were diagnosed in the ER after staff discovered they'd eaten cannabis gummies from a parent's stash. The stories are always similar. The parent thought the product was hidden well enough. A curious child proved otherwise.

The packaging problem

New Jersey law prohibits cannabis packaging that looks like candy aimed at children. Legal dispensary products are required to come in opaque, child-resistant containers with clear THC labeling. The problem is that illegal products sold outside the regulated market don't follow those rules. Counterfeit brands with names that mimic popular candies have shown up repeatedly. Some packaging is indistinguishable from regular store-bought treats until you read the fine print.

This is one reason why buying from licensed dispensaries matters beyond just product quality. Regulated products come with the packaging safeguards and the labeling that make accidental ingestion less likely. The unregulated market, which is still large in states without recreational cannabis, is where most of the genuinely dangerous packaging shows up.

What to actually do

Store edibles like medication, not like snacks. This means a locked container, a high shelf your child cannot reach, or a location they don't know exists. "Hidden in a desk drawer" is not enough. Kids are better at finding things than adults give them credit for.

Keep products in their original child-resistant packaging until you use them. Don't decant gummies into a regular snack bowl, even temporarily.

Don't consume edibles in front of children. If they see you eating what looks like candy, they'll want some too. The visual association alone can make your stash more tempting.

Talk to other adults in your life. If your kids spend time at a relative's house or a friend's home where cannabis is consumed, have the conversation about safe storage. Most people are happy to secure their products once they understand the risk.

Know the Poison Control number. If a child does get into your edibles, call 1-800-222-1222 immediately. They will help you determine whether the situation needs an ER visit. Dr. Calello has emphasized that parents should not delay calling out of fear of legal consequences. Child services are not involved in accidental exposure cases unless there's evidence of other abuse. Getting help fast is what matters.

If the worst happens

Signs that a child has eaten a cannabis edible include sudden drowsiness, poor coordination, difficulty walking or talking, unusual behavior, rapid heart rate, dilated pupils, and in severe cases, trouble breathing or loss of consciousness. If you see any of these signs and cannabis edibles are in the home, don't wait to see what happens. Call Poison Control or get to an emergency room.