The number of children being poisoned by marijuana is on the rise, leaving youngsters with seizures and potentially life-threatening breathing issues.  

As the use of the drug has spread across the US due to legalization and commercialization the number of marijuana-related incidents has too. 

According to America’s Poison Centers, there were around 930 cases of poisoning in 2019, compared to 22,000 last year alone. 

Of that 22,000, over 13,000 of them caused negative effects and were classed as nonlethal poisonings, with children and teens accounting for 75 percent of them. 

A study of the figures by The New York Times identified a number of cases involving kids consuming marijuana products from stashes belonging to friends and family that have gone on to suffer severe health problems as a result.

Their analysis uncovered a growing number of kids having breathing problems after being poisoned, up from 10 cases in 2009 to 620 last year. 

According to their findings over 100 children required the use of a ventilator as a result. 

America’s Poison Center has also identified four deaths since 2009 as being likely caused by the drug. 

According to America’s Poison Centers, there was around 930 cases of poisoning in 2019, compared to 22,000 last year alone

A study of the figures by The New York Times identified a number of cases involving kids consuming marijuana products from stashes belonging to friends and family

Medical professionals spoke with the outlet about the alarming jump, with Dr. Robert Hendrickson revealing he had treated a toddler who ate a marijuana infused cookie. 

Dr Robert Hendrickson, seen here, recalled to the outlet having to put a child, who ate a marijuana cookie, on a ventilator

Dr Hendrickson, an emergency physician and professor at Oregon Health & Science University, said: ‘The child had a seizure and then was put on a ventilator’. The child went on to have more seizures afterwards.

Dr. Stephen Sandelich, pediatric physician and assistant professor at Penn State, said the blame was partially down to trendy and colorful packaging. 

Sandelich says he has had to intubate seven children who had unfortunately ingested the products. 

Amy Enochs daughter was one of those kids who accidentally ingested the drug while in school. 

Enochs told the outlet that her daughter’s school was put into a lockdown after her daughter and others ate marijuana gummies and were rushed to hospital. 

The incident happened in 2022, with the kids being taken to hospital after suffering from hallucinations, high pulses and nausea. 

Enochs told the outlet that her girl was convinced the school had been overtaken by aliens and that she had superpowers. 

Flavored marijuana gummies are displayed in a cabinet at the Housing Works Cannabis Co., New York’s first legal cannabis dispensary, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, in New York

As the use of the drug has spread across the US due to legalization and commercialization the number of marijuana-related incidents has too

She recalled: ‘I was scared to death. It was shock and panic’, it later emerged her and daughter and their classmates had eaten gummies containing 50 milligrams of THC. 

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive compound in the drug that makes users feel high. 

The classmate who brought them into school had lifted them from a kitchen cabinet, they belonged to their father who later pleaded guilty to inducing panic and obstructing official business. 

According to the outlet the man was given probation and ordered to pay a fine and restitution. 

In the aftermath, Enochs said her daughter felt unsafe at the school and was scared to fall asleep. Three years on she has recovered but still suffers mentally. 

The Times found in their analysis that at least 38 marijuana-related poisonings led to charges filed against parents and caregivers. 

Health officials say the amount that an adult would have to consume to get so ill that they would have a seizure is remarkably high, but far less for children. 

Rebecca Villarreal also spoke with the outlet about her son Emilio who had picked out a cake pop from a store in Florida selling both THC products and THC-free ones. 

After Emilio fell asleep, she recalled to the Times how he woke up screaming and appeared to be hallucinating that there were spiders in his throat. 

He was rushed to hospital where it was found out that the treat had been incorrectly labeled and contained 100 milligrams of THC. Thankfully the youngster recovered.

It’s not just children feeling the effects. A Canadian study last year found that after the country legalized the sale of marijuana emergency room visits for the elderly shot up. 

Researchers found that older adults may be prone to overdosing due to slower metabolisms, possible interactions with medications and a greater potency than the marijuana they might have used in their youth.