THC product exposure in kids rising
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Drug paraphernalia has been taking on new forms and one of those forms are gummies, something that kids are familiar with.
The delta-9 cannabinoid, also known as “THC,” is a trending drug that users have been purchasing online or in person at dispensaries.
According to Kentucky’s pediatric ingestion data, in 2024 the most ingested recreational drug in kids were cannabinoids with ages 1 through 4 years old having the highest incident reports.
While these “snacks” are only for adults who legally obtain a prescription for use under Kentucky’s law, some people are purchasing them through drug trafficking. Then, they are taking them home, where their kids may accidentally ingest them by mistaking them for a treat.
“Anything that can get you high can harm a child,” said Ashley Webb, director of Poison Control Center with Norton Children’s Hospital.
She says kids coming in contact with things like THC should be taken seriously and that child reactions to recreational drugs versus adults are drastically different.
“One THC gummy might have enough THC in it for an adult dose and we’re talking about a young child and that dose is going to be much higher. So, it’s really important to keep these things up and out of reach and out of sight of children,” said Webb.
The Bowling Green Police Department has reported three cases of THC exposure with kids since February.
Webb said Norton Health’s poison control center receives about 40,000 calls a year and recently hundreds of those are THC related. “Years ago, we used to get a handful of cases of children that are exposed to THC, and in the past couple of years we see hundreds of cases, ” she said.
From seltzers, to brownies, cookies and gummies, the packaging on these could appear to be a harmless treat. Some packets are also said to be child resistant. Webb said, “It’s really important with any medication not just THC, child-resistant doesn’t mean child-proof.”
Kentucky’s senate bill 47, which passed in 2023, allows the use of cannabinoid products solely for qualifying medicinal purposes. Moreover, it is against the law to expose minors to these drugs if they have access to them.
If you notice your child may have eaten something containing THC, immediately call the poison control center at (800)222-1222 or 9-1-1.
“Things that you need to consider if they’ve been exposed, what we see in kids is unusual sleepiness, trouble walking or talking, vomiting, slower or difficulty breathing. Those things are concerning. If you recognize a package is out, the child is acting abnormally, or if you see them being exposed, go ahead and give us a call,” said Webb.
