(Knoxville, TN) -East Tennessee Children’s Hospital warning about the dangers of THC gummies and children.
“The labels look like candy. They just look very visually appealing,” according to Dr. Joe Childs, Children’s Hospital Chief Medical Officer. He says, “They are putting these marijuana biproducts in these gummies so that they are easier to take for adults, more appealing to young adults. But then they are dangerous for kids because they find them, they get into them. They are going to eat and eat and eat because it tastes like candy to them. So, we have had cases of children that have gotten into these and essentially overdosed. It’s been life threatening in terms of how it has affected them.”
The doctor says this is what to look for: “It’s very sedating. So they are going to be sleepy, moving towards unresponsive, and sometimes moving towards not really remembering that they need to breathe, where then it can be life threatening to them. When you eat these, it takes a while for it to be absorbed. So you can be eating several and then the first one or two are starting to have effect, and you’ve already got six or seven on board. So, it can be a long-lasting effect and it can be a cumulative effect as it’s being absorbed into your system.”
Dr. Childs says, “We’ve nearly had to put at least one case on full life support, at least temporarily. You do not have to, but it’s to that level that these kids need to be observed and supported until this clears their system. It’s a really dangerous situation. Poison Control Centers across the country are getting a dramatic increase in phone calls about this.
And when it comes to legal CDB oil products in the home: “They can be dangerous if you consume a lot of that. That can have effects on your body. Also, a lot of those are not pure CBD. They also can have the THC component either from hemp or marijuana plants that can have the adverse effects on you.”
