A new study tracking hospitalizations for poisoning in children under the age of nine suggests that the rate of pediatric hospitalizations caused by cannabis more than doubled in provinces that allowed the sale of cannabis edibles.
In Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, about one-third of all pediatric hospitalizations for intoxication were due to cannabis, the study found.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Health Forum, looked not only at the rate of hospitalizations before legalization, but also during the time period when cannabis was legalized but regulated edible cannabis products had not yet hit the shelves, a distinction that allowed the researchers to compare the impact of legalized dry cannabis with legalized edibles.
Their findings echo earlier research from August that found provinces that legalized cannabis edibles in the early 2020s saw an increase in accidental cannabis poisonings among children, more than double that of Quebec, where edibles sales are banned.
As of January 2020, Ontario, Alberta and B.C. legalized the sale of cannabis edibles, including gummies, candy, chocolates and baked goods.