Ohio Children Poisonings Spike As delta-8 Becomes More Available

COLUMBUS – More than 800 children ages 12 and younger were exposed to cannabis in 2024, according to data from Ohio Poison Centers, a 52 percent increase from the year prior. Nearly all cases involved marijuana edibles, which come in the form of candy, gummies and brownies.

Poisonings in Ohio mirror a broader trend spurred by the increased availability of cannabis. Nationwide, there were more than 18,000 cases of pediatric poisoning from marijuana edibles and 3,500 tied to delta-8 THC in the past two years, according to America’s Poison Centers.

Ohio voters legalized adult-use cannabis in 2023, and sales began one year ago.

Experts say kids 5 and under are most at risk because they tend to explore and eat things they shouldn’t.

“If our society has decided that we’re going to make these things legal, that’s fine,” said Shan Yin, medical director of the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center. “But we also need to be smart and think about ways to prevent exposures, especially in young children.”

Marijuana exposures have risen since 2019 − when Ohio launched medical cannabis sales − but the 2024 spike was the largest in recent years. Yin said poisonings increase as any product becomes more available, and marijuana is no exception.

Ohio requires licensed dispensaries to sell products in child-resistant packaging. Division of Cannabis Control spokesperson Jamie Crawford said keeping marijuana away from kids is “critical to protecting their health and safety.”