Louisiana Poison Control says children from across the state are being hospitalized after eating candy laced with THC. Executive Director Dr. Mark Ryan, PharmD, says the age restriction of 21-years of age to buy edibles is not stopping kids from getting their hands on it. “They don’t necessarily can buy those themselves. But parents, older friends who are of age can buy them and then they’re at the house, they’re in the car, they’re laying on the table as a vape pen, so they’re accessible.”
As Andrew Greenstein with the Louisiana Radio Network(LRN) reports, Ryan says over the last several years, the instances of kids becoming sick from eating THC-laced candy have increased steadily – and shockingly. “Back to 2019, the total number of cases that we received here at our poison center was four,” says Ryan. “In 2020, that number went to 27. In 2021, it went to 34. 2022, 62; 2023, 107; and to date (in 2024) right now, we’re at 128.”
THC is an acronym for tetrahydrocannabinol, the name given for the psychoactive compound in cannabis. Ryan says many complain the THC gummies are specifically marketed to children, often with creative names. “Sometimes the package looks very much like what you would find on a shelf in a grocery store.”
Ryan explains that the effects this candy has on children can be frightening. “They get things like dizziness, their heart rate increase, they become extremely euphoric, they can hallucinate, they have coordination (problems), look like a drunk person, they don’t make sense, they have cognitive impairments, they have sedation, anxiety increases, nausea and vomiting are pretty common,” Ryan says so far, no kids have died from eating THC-laced candy.
To get help, online you can visit the Louisiana Poison Control website or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. They instruct people to call 911 immediately if the individual collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing, or cannot be awakened. In fact, recent media reports, including coverage by WBRZ last week [Thursday, October 24], detailed the story of five students, from Geo Prep Mid-City Academy in Baton Rouge who were taken to hospitals after they may have eaten some type of edible.
The Louisiana legislature legalized THC-laced edibles back in 2022. Then, in the final hour of the 2024 session on June 3, legislators gave final approval to House Bill 952 [now known as ACT No. 752]. The bill adds new restrictions on THC-Hemp products, banning their sale in convenience stores that sell fuel. And HB 952 reduces the potency from 8 milligrams to 5 mg of THC per serving. Ryan expects state lawmakers will likely take up the issue of making even more changes to the existing laws during the next regular session, which begins April 14, 2025.
