Marijuana Exposures Among Children Surge Across Ohio
A decade ago, Ohio’s Poison Centers logged just 11 cases of children under 6 exposed to marijuana edibles. In 2023, that number skyrocketed to 582, a more than 50-fold increase.
With the legalization of recreational marijuana in Ohio in late 2023, exposure calls surged again in early 2024, prompting urgent concern among health officials.
Dr. Hannah Hays, medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center, said they now receive at least one call a day involving a child consuming cannabis, nearly all due to edibles. “Most of the cannabis poisonings in young children under 6 are edibles,” she explained.
Many of these products resemble everyday sweets like candy, cookies, and brownies, making them especially attractive and dangerous to young children.
Once ingested, symptoms of marijuana poisoning in children can include anxiety, slurred speech, dizziness, and hallucinations. In severe cases, children may suffer seizures, respiratory failure, or fall into a coma. Although most recover with supportive care, the experience can be traumatic for both children and families.
The spike in cases is largely attributed to unsafe storage practices in homes. While Ohio law requires child-resistant packaging for regulated cannabis products, homemade edibles and improperly stored products remain a major risk.
Poison control officials stress the importance of locking up all cannabis products, storing them out of reach, and avoiding consumption in front of children, who may mimic adult behavior.
Although exposure calls declined across three quarters into early 2025, numbers have once again begun to climb, raising fresh concerns as more households gain access to cannabis products.
This alarming trend represents a violation of child’s rights to health and protection from harm. When adults fail to safely store or handle cannabis edibles, it places young children at serious and preventable risk. Protecting children from exposure is a fundamental duty so they can grow in a safe, healthy, and secure environment.
