Keep pot edibles out of kids’ mouths

Given how eagerly children search for holiday gifts and treats, adults should be mindful to keep medications and recreational drugs safely out of the reach.  

“[Kids] are very curious. If they find something that looks like candy in an interesting package, they're going to eat it — and that puts them at risk. It makes you liable. So lock it up,” said UW Medicine pediatrician Dr. Beth Ebel.   

“If a kid gets this, they could quickly exceed the dose and cause themselves serious harm.”   

Cannabis edibles often come in exuberant, candylike packaging. Their broad legal availability in Washington and Oregon heightens children's risk.  A study published this year reported more than 7,000 confirmed cases of U.S. children under age 6 ingesting edibles between 2017 and 2021, according to the National Poison Data System. Researchers said 97% of the exposures occurred in a residential setting. 

“There are no safety studies on these products, and they have some significant and sometimes irreversible risks,” Ebel said. 

She suggests buying and using a medication safe to store substances that have any potential danger for kids. 

Download broadcast-ready resources featuring Ebel discussing the risk that cannabis edibles pose to children.