Pot-related ER visits among kids, already on the rise, spiked further during the pandemic, CDC says
Pot-related emergency room visits among children and teens increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Credit: Getty Images / sturti
Cannabis-related emergency department visits among children and teens, already on the rise, increased even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, as stress went up and marijuana, along with its edible products, became more widely available, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Large increases in cannabis-involved ED visit rates" occurred among children age 10 and younger and between ages 11 and 14, the report said.
The CDC report said one major reason for the increase is the easier access to edibles and other products, some of which contain higher potency from the main psychoactive drug THC.
“It’s perfectly legal for adults to own and maintain products like these, but I would tell parents to treat these like weapons,” Dr. Matthew Harris, head of pediatric medicine for Northwell Health, said. “Keep these out of reach of children. They’re packaged to be attractive to young children and should be locked away or in a place where children can’t get access to it.”
Emergency room visits among older teens correlated directly with the pandemic, according to the CDC report — mostly teens and young adults aged 15-24 years, peaking in the second half of the 2020-21 school year.
“The largest visit ratios for this age group occurred immediately after the March 11, 2020, declaration of the pandemic as a public health emergency and during the initial implementation of many state-level stay-at-home orders,” the study states.
"These increases might stem from multiple factors, such as increased use as a coping mechanism for pandemic-related stressors, use of highly concentrated THC products, increased availability of cannabis in states with legal marketplaces, and increased unintentional ingestions associated with packaging that is appealing or confusing to youth,” the report states.
The majority of children seen by Northwell Health on Long Island and New York City are usually younger children, Harris said.
“Most who present to the emergency room are younger children who may be eating a box of THC cookies and clearly it’s an issue for those younger children,” Harris said. "We’re not seeing in any meaningful way that teenagers are overdosing.”
He noted most cases may involve accidental ingestion of parents’ THC products by children, who arrive unusually tired, but stable or with heavy breathing. They are either monitored or treated with fluids and breathing support before being sent home to let the drug wear off, he said.
Judi Vining, head of the alcohol and drug prevention group Long Beach Aware, said many parents may not understand the effects of high-potency edibles or vaping oils on teenagers.
“It’s difficult in breaking through the denial, and many parents of adolescents who grew up with weed and their perception of the problem,” Vining said. “That’s not the reality of what these kids are doing.”
She said “the perception of harm” has decreased among marijuana users and parents, but it can still affect children’s developing brains.
John Venza, a licensed clinical social worker and vice president of the nonprofit Outreach House in Brentwood, noted a high correlation with marijuana use and mental health, potentially leading to suicidal thoughts.
“For someone with existing mental health issues, it can exacerbate that and substance-induced anxiety or depression,” Venza said. “Kids with depression may use cannabis as self-medicating and cannabis can generate increased depression.”
Cannabis-related emergency department visits among children and teens, already on the rise, increased even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, as stress went up and marijuana, along with its edible products, became more widely available, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Large increases in cannabis-involved ED visit rates" occurred among children age 10 and younger and between ages 11 and 14, the report said.
The CDC report said one major reason for the increase is the easier access to edibles and other products, some of which contain higher potency from the main psychoactive drug THC.
“It’s perfectly legal for adults to own and maintain products like these, but I would tell parents to treat these like weapons,” Dr. Matthew Harris, head of pediatric medicine for Northwell Health, said. “Keep these out of reach of children. They’re packaged to be attractive to young children and should be locked away or in a place where children can’t get access to it.”
Emergency room visits among older teens correlated directly with the pandemic, according to the CDC report — mostly teens and young adults aged 15-24 years, peaking in the second half of the 2020-21 school year.
“The largest visit ratios for this age group occurred immediately after the March 11, 2020, declaration of the pandemic as a public health emergency and during the initial implementation of many state-level stay-at-home orders,” the study states.
"These increases might stem from multiple factors, such as increased use as a coping mechanism for pandemic-related stressors, use of highly concentrated THC products, increased availability of cannabis in states with legal marketplaces, and increased unintentional ingestions associated with packaging that is appealing or confusing to youth,” the report states.
The majority of children seen by Northwell Health on Long Island and New York City are usually younger children, Harris said.
“Most who present to the emergency room are younger children who may be eating a box of THC cookies and clearly it’s an issue for those younger children,” Harris said. "We’re not seeing in any meaningful way that teenagers are overdosing.”
He noted most cases may involve accidental ingestion of parents’ THC products by children, who arrive unusually tired, but stable or with heavy breathing. They are either monitored or treated with fluids and breathing support before being sent home to let the drug wear off, he said.
Judi Vining, head of the alcohol and drug prevention group Long Beach Aware, said many parents may not understand the effects of high-potency edibles or vaping oils on teenagers.
“It’s difficult in breaking through the denial, and many parents of adolescents who grew up with weed and their perception of the problem,” Vining said. “That’s not the reality of what these kids are doing.”
She said “the perception of harm” has decreased among marijuana users and parents, but it can still affect children’s developing brains.
John Venza, a licensed clinical social worker and vice president of the nonprofit Outreach House in Brentwood, noted a high correlation with marijuana use and mental health, potentially leading to suicidal thoughts.
“For someone with existing mental health issues, it can exacerbate that and substance-induced anxiety or depression,” Venza said. “Kids with depression may use cannabis as self-medicating and cannabis can generate increased depression.”
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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