Nebraska Marijuana Problems

Edibles Are Deceptive

I have written on this subject before (https://andrewlsullivan.substack.com/p/omaha-poisoned-treats), but with the latest ballot issue on medical marijuana (https://www.yahoo.com/news/medical-marijuana-legalization-regulation-certified-191905313.html and https://news.ballotpedia.org/2024/09/16/nebraska-voters-to-decide-on-a-pair-of-initiatives-to-legalize-and-regulate-medical-marijuana/) I have doubts.

The Greater Omaha Pachyderm Luncheon Group recently had Douglas County Don Kleine speak. Yes, he explained why he found no legal reason to prosecute an Omaha Police officer who killed a suspect in delivering a no-knock warrant (https://www.wowt.com/2024/09/05/live-douglas-county-attorney-says-opd-officer-used-legal-force-deadly-shooting/). He also talked much about youth violence.

However, I asked him about the marijuana edibles which Nebraska State Attorney General Mike Hilgers has been combating (https://nebraska.tv/news/local/nebraska-attorney-general-says-retailers-are-poisoning-nebraskans-by-mislabeling-thc-products-and-counties-trouble-children-believes-victims-poison-hospital-) Kleine opposes marijuana and says more action against marijuana will be forthcoming in Douglas County.

While I am pro-legalization of marijuana, I have bought into a faulty assumption as many have. The assumption being legalization would result in fierce and meaningful regulation but this has not happened. This is why Hilgers is rightly pushing forward on this matter.

If there are to be marijuana gummies, they should not be bears, but marijuana leaves. If marijuana brownies, use a template of a marijuana leaf and some powdered sugar to highlight the fact there is marijuana in the brownies. Yet unsuspecting people, especially children, are eating these products, ruining their day.

There also needs to be a greater discussion of the negative side effects of marijuana usage including mental illness. All drugs have negative effects and everyone should consult with their physician to reduce such usage. Yet, marijuana is presumed to be completely harmless when it is not.

Accidental consumption of marijuana edibles, especially by children, has become an increasingly common problem in recent years. More people need to be speaking about this with elected officials. Here are some key points about the frequency and trends of accidental edible consumption made possible with a query on Perplexity.com :

## Rising Incidence in Children

The number of young children accidentally consuming cannabis edibles has increased dramatically:

- Between 2017 and 2021, cases of accidental edible ingestion in children under 6 rose by 1,375%[1][2].

- In 2017, there were 207 reported cases in children under 6. By 2021, this had increased to 3,054 cases[5][6].

- Children under 6 account for about 40% of all calls to poison control centers nationally related to accidental marijuana exposure[2].

## Factors Contributing to Accidental Consumption

Several factors have led to the rise in accidental edible consumption:

- Increased legalization of recreational cannabis in many states[2].

- Edibles often resemble regular candies, cookies, or other snacks, making them attractive to children[1].

- Many edible products contain high levels of THC, even for adult consumption[1].

- Lack of childproof packaging and clear labeling on some products[2].

## Adult Consumption and Overdose

While data on accidental consumption by adults is less clear, there are risks associated with edible use:

- The delayed onset of effects (30 minutes to 2 hours) can lead to overconsumption before feeling the full impact[3].

- Edibles are more likely than other forms of cannabis to result in emergency room visits for overdose[4].

- Uncertain potency and inaccurate labeling of THC content in some products can contribute to unintentional overconsumption[4].

## Prevention and Safety

To reduce accidental consumption:

- Store edibles in locked cabinets or high shelves, away from other food products[2].

- Choose products that are easily distinguishable from regular snacks[2].

- Never consume edibles in front of children[2].

- Educate consumers about proper dosing and the delayed onset of effects[4].

While accidental consumption by adults is less common than in children, the rising prevalence of edibles has increased the overall risk of unintentional ingestion or overconsumption across all age groups.

Citations:

[1] https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/child-eats-marijuana-edible

[2] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/more-kids-are-accidentally-eating-marijuana-edibles-study-finds-180981389/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7008857/

[4] https://americanaddictioncenters.org/marijuana-rehab/risks-of-edibles

[5] https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/03/health/cannabis-edibles-wellness/index.html

[6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2023/01/03/edibles-kids-increasing/

[7] https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/reports-young-children-accidentally-eating-marijuana-edibles-soar-rcna63501

[8] https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/01/03/1146592977/3-000-young-children-accidentally-ate-weed-edibles-in-2021-study-finds