Kids Under 5 Overdosing on Parent's Marijuana Edibles

Toddlers are eating marijuana-laced edibles.Photo by(@Juanmonino/iStock)

Buckle up for a reality check. Good and bad parents alike are about to be humbled. Good parents are usually always on high alert, they’re always ready for their kids’ next moves, and being prepared is key. Ironically, being on high alert and smoking weed is an unlikely duo in today’s day and age – good parents also smoke weed, or eat edibles.

Here’s the difference between good parents and bad parents who smoke weed. Good parents ensure their stuff is safely stored, out of reach from little hands. Bad parents don’t.

American Academy of Pediatrics released a study claiming that the number of overdoses in children under the age of 5 years old has increased by 1,375% since 2017. In 2017, hospitals across the United States reported over 200 overdoses among children aged 5 and under. Today, overdoses in children under 5 years old have shot up to 3,054.

The spike in statistics is attributed to the shift in the legal status of marijuana across the country. In 2017, marijuana was barely legal since the states that did approve of its use only allowed it to be available medicinally.

Today, in 2023, marijuana is legal recreationally and medicinally in more than half of the United States. Experts project the increase in childhood overdoses is caused by negligent parents.

Let’s be real for a minute. Kids under 5 years old are not rolling up a joint and lighting up. Kids are getting into their parent’s edibles. Edibles come in colorful packaging and usually mimic the look of regular candy. When parents leave their edibles out in the open, accessible for children to get their little hands on – that is when an issue arises.

So, bad parents, WAKE UP! It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to realize you wouldn’t want your kids getting into a gun cabinet or a prescription pill cabinet, why would you leave your weed gummies out on the counter for your children to help themselves to?

Good parents use cannabis responsibly. Whether it’s smoked or eaten, they ensure it’s kept out of reach and there is no sliver of a chance that a child will be able to access it.