Pubdate: Tue, 28 May 2013
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser (HI)
Copyright: 2013 Associated Press
Contact: 
http://www.staradvertiser.com/info/Star-Advertiser_Letter_to_the_Editor.html
Website: http://www.staradvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5154
Author: Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press

MEDICAL POT ITEMS PUT KIDS AT RISK, STUDY FINDS

Increased use of medical marijuana may lead to more young children 
getting sick from accidentally eating food made with the drug, a 
Colorado study suggests.

Medical marijuana items include yummy-looking gummy candies, cookies 
and other treats that may entice young children. Fourteen children 
were treated at Colorado Children's Hospital in the two years after a 
2009 federal policy change led to a surge in medical marijuana use, 
the study found. That's when federal authorities said they would not 
prosecute legal users.

Study cases were mostly mild, but parents should know about potential 
risks and keep the products out of reach, said lead author Dr. George 
Sam Wang, an emergency room physician at the hospital.

Unusual drowsiness and unsteady walking were among the symptoms. One 
child, a 5-year-old boy, had trouble breathing. Eight children were 
hospitalized, two in the intensive care unit, though all recovered 
within a few days, Wang said. By contrast, in four years preceding 
the policy change, the Denver-area hospital had no such cases.

The study was released Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

Eighteen states and Washington, D.C., allow medical marijuana, though 
it remains illegal under federal law. Some states, including 
Colorado, allow medical marijuana use by sick kids, with parents' supervision.

At least seven more states are considering legalizing medical marijuana.
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