A decade ago, the Ohio Poison Centers received just 11 calls all year about marijuana edible exposure involving young kids. Last year, they received more than 50 times that number.
Child exposures to edible cannabis have been rising for years, long before Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana in late 2023 and before recreational sales began in the state a year ago.
Even so, exposure calls surged in the first half of 2024, and they are starting to climb once again.
“We see one of these every day,” said Hannah Hays, medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center and chief of toxicology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Most of the cannabis poisonings in young children under 6 are edibles.”
Kids can get very sick from consuming cannabis, but Ohioans can help prevent this from happening by taking a few simple steps to safely store their stashes.
Adults over the age of 21 can buy cannabis for recreational use — whether it be in the form of flower, gummies, chocolate bars, vapes or other products — from dispensaries in the Dayton area. AYR Dispensary in east Dayton was among the first cannabis businesses to open their doors to recreational customers last month.
Edible sales
Many marijuana users get high from smoking the plant form of the substance or taking hits from vapes loaded with cartridges containing THC, which is the main psychoactive component of pot.
But THC edibles also are quite popular in Ohio, according to sales data from the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control.
Since recreational marijuana sales began a year ago, on Aug. 6, 2024, consumers across Ohio have purchased 4.2 million THC edibles, or $91 million worth of product.
Ohio now has 158 marijuana dispensaries, including seven in Montgomery County, five in Butler County, four in Warren County, two in Miami and Clark counties, and one in Greene County, according to data from the Division of Cannabis Control. Ohio’s dispensaries have sold more than $344 million worth of recreational marijuana plant products (104 million pounds) and $225 million worth of vape cartridges and oils.
There are all kinds of THC edibles, including cookies, brownies, chocolates, candies and gummies that come in lots of flavors. THC-infused sodas and drinks also are fairly popular and sold at quite a few local businesses.
Read more at Dayton Daily News
