Parents urged to inspect Halloween treats as hospitalizations for accidental cannabis ingestion on Long Island, nation soar
Edible marijuana samples at a cannabis testing laboratory in Santa Ana, Calif. Credit: AP/Chris Carlson
Public health officials are raising concerns that children could mistakenly ingest edible marijuana in their Halloween candy and other times, as a rising number of kids are being hospitalized across Long Island and the country due to accidental pot consumption.
Too many marijuana edibles, officials said, have packaging resembling brand-name candy, creating the possibility that children could be given the wrong item, either deliberately or accidentally, when trick-or-treating or may mistakenly reach for the wrong item when looking for a sweet at home.
"Children can mistake edibles for regular food or candies," said Nassau Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman during a news conference in Farmingdale, not far from the county's only marijuana dispensary. "Because marijuana use was legalized in some cases, unintentional poisonings in children have increased, with some instances requiring emergency medical care. Consuming marijuana can make children very sick, requiring hospitalization, including admissions to the ICU."
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said "it's important that you go with their kids when they're trick-or-treating. And that you tell your children not to eat the candy until they bring it home and the parents get an opportunity with their children to inspect the treats.
New York State legalized recreational use marijuana in 2021, leading to increased usage among both adults and teenagers, officials said.
In recent years, the Nassau Health Department has tracked a nearly 20-fold increase in cannabis-related health care visits for teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19. In 2017, 42 teens sought medical care for marijuana-related events in Nassau, compared to 812 in 2021, Gelman said.
Similar trends, she said, are occurring among children as young as 3 who mistakenly believe gummies or cookies infused with THC — the main ingredient in the cannabis plant — are harmless treats.
From 2017 to 2021, the department tracked a fivefold increase in cannabis-related hospitalizations among Nassau residents under the age of 15, officials said.
Young children with THC in their system can struggle with lethargy, low blood pressure, high heart rates, prolonged sleep, vomiting and breathing issues, medical professionals said.
Last year, a 5-year-old Shirley boy was hospitalized after eating cannabis-infused gummies received during trick-or-treating, police said. The gummies were packaged with similar branding to Starburst candies and were labeled as medicated and containing cannabis.
"The Suffolk County Police Department is reminding parents to check candy your children and teens collect during trick-or-treating for signs of tampering and to ensure candy is not look-alike cannabis-infused treats," said Marykate Guilfoyle, spokeswoman for County Executive Steve Bellone. "At first glance, some treats appear safe, but if you look closer, cannabis treats have a warning printed on the package."
Stony Brook Pediatric Hospital treated 14 children under the age of 11 for accidental marijuana ingestion in 2021 and 2022 — up from just a handful in previous years, said Dr. Candice Foy, a pediatric hospitalist at Stony Brook.
But Foy said the majority of the cases involve kids accidentally getting into their parents' stash and rarely involve deliberate poisonings during trick-or-treating.
"Most of the issues that we find are with improper storage," Foy said. "So, grandma is a cancer patient and has her edibles lying around. I've had a few cases where somebody gives [kids] gummies that they keep in their purse and they forget."
The problem is repeating itself nationwide, statistics show.
In 2017, there were 207 reported cases of pediatric exposure to edible cannabis products in children under the age of 6, according to a January report in the American Academy of Pediatrics. By 2021, there were 3,054 cases nationwide, an increase of nearly 1,400%.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in July that cannabis-related emergency room visits among children and teens, already on the rise, increased even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, because of stress and more widely available marijuana products.
Before Monday's news conference, held outside Woodward Parkway Elementary School in Farmingdale, Nassau police joined with costumed superheroes in entertaining students with a DJ, toys and candy. Nearly six weeks ago, a Farmingdale High School charter bus crashed on its way to a Pennsylvania band camp, killing two adult passengers and injuring dozens of students.
Public health officials are raising concerns that children could mistakenly ingest edible marijuana in their Halloween candy and other times, as a rising number of kids are being hospitalized across Long Island and the country due to accidental pot consumption.
Too many marijuana edibles, officials said, have packaging resembling brand-name candy, creating the possibility that children could be given the wrong item, either deliberately or accidentally, when trick-or-treating or may mistakenly reach for the wrong item when looking for a sweet at home.
"Children can mistake edibles for regular food or candies," said Nassau Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman during a news conference in Farmingdale, not far from the county's only marijuana dispensary. "Because marijuana use was legalized in some cases, unintentional poisonings in children have increased, with some instances requiring emergency medical care. Consuming marijuana can make children very sick, requiring hospitalization, including admissions to the ICU."
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said "it's important that you go with their kids when they're trick-or-treating. And that you tell your children not to eat the candy until they bring it home and the parents get an opportunity with their children to inspect the treats.
New York State legalized recreational use marijuana in 2021, leading to increased usage among both adults and teenagers, officials said.
In recent years, the Nassau Health Department has tracked a nearly 20-fold increase in cannabis-related health care visits for teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19. In 2017, 42 teens sought medical care for marijuana-related events in Nassau, compared to 812 in 2021, Gelman said.
Similar trends, she said, are occurring among children as young as 3 who mistakenly believe gummies or cookies infused with THC — the main ingredient in the cannabis plant — are harmless treats.
From 2017 to 2021, the department tracked a fivefold increase in cannabis-related hospitalizations among Nassau residents under the age of 15, officials said.
Young children with THC in their system can struggle with lethargy, low blood pressure, high heart rates, prolonged sleep, vomiting and breathing issues, medical professionals said.
Last year, a 5-year-old Shirley boy was hospitalized after eating cannabis-infused gummies received during trick-or-treating, police said. The gummies were packaged with similar branding to Starburst candies and were labeled as medicated and containing cannabis.
"The Suffolk County Police Department is reminding parents to check candy your children and teens collect during trick-or-treating for signs of tampering and to ensure candy is not look-alike cannabis-infused treats," said Marykate Guilfoyle, spokeswoman for County Executive Steve Bellone. "At first glance, some treats appear safe, but if you look closer, cannabis treats have a warning printed on the package."
Stony Brook Pediatric Hospital treated 14 children under the age of 11 for accidental marijuana ingestion in 2021 and 2022 — up from just a handful in previous years, said Dr. Candice Foy, a pediatric hospitalist at Stony Brook.
But Foy said the majority of the cases involve kids accidentally getting into their parents' stash and rarely involve deliberate poisonings during trick-or-treating.
"Most of the issues that we find are with improper storage," Foy said. "So, grandma is a cancer patient and has her edibles lying around. I've had a few cases where somebody gives [kids] gummies that they keep in their purse and they forget."
The problem is repeating itself nationwide, statistics show.
In 2017, there were 207 reported cases of pediatric exposure to edible cannabis products in children under the age of 6, according to a January report in the American Academy of Pediatrics. By 2021, there were 3,054 cases nationwide, an increase of nearly 1,400%.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in July that cannabis-related emergency room visits among children and teens, already on the rise, increased even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, because of stress and more widely available marijuana products.
Before Monday's news conference, held outside Woodward Parkway Elementary School in Farmingdale, Nassau police joined with costumed superheroes in entertaining students with a DJ, toys and candy. Nearly six weeks ago, a Farmingdale High School charter bus crashed on its way to a Pennsylvania band camp, killing two adult passengers and injuring dozens of students.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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