A new study examining pediatric marijuana exposures reported to U.S. poison control centers found a dramatic increase over a 25-year period that coincided with major changes in federal marijuana policy. The study examined data spanning significant policy developments, including the 2009 Ogden Memorandum, the 2013 Cole Memorandum, and the 2018 Farm Bill, all of which changed the federal approach to marijuana enforcement and regulation. Since the 2009 Ogden Memorandum, the number of states with legal medical marijuana has grown from 13 to 38, while states legalizing recreational marijuana have increased from 0 to 24.
Using data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS), researchers found that pediatric marijuana exposures remained relatively stable from 2000 through 2009 before rising sharply beginning in 2010. Among children younger than 6 years, reported marijuana exposures increased by 6,386%, rising from 132 cases in 2009 to 8,430 in 2024. Among children ages 6 to 12, exposures increased by 13,781%, from 21 cases in 2009 to 2,894 in 2024.
The findings suggest that changes in marijuana policy and commercialization have coincided with substantial increases in pediatric marijuana exposures reported to poison control centers. The researchers also note that edible marijuana products account for most exposures in young children and that severe poisonings requiring hospitalization are almost exclusively associated with edible products.
These findings underscore the urgent need to educate parents, caregivers, and youth about the risks of marijuana exposure. Public policy should prioritize the health and well-being of children over the interests of the for-profit addiction industry. Products that poison thousands of children each year should not be commercially marketed in ways that increase their appeal or accessibility. Children deserve protection, not products designed to resemble candy, cookies, or other treats. Until children's safety comes first, marijuana commercialization will continue to carry preventable public health consequences.
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