Geisinger Chair of Pediatrics: Rising Theat of Marijuana Edibles

Between legalization in many surrounding states and the increased amount of people with medical use cards, the use of tetrahyocannabinol or THC, has increased dramatically in the past decade.

The surge in popularity of edible cannabis products has allowed users to be discreet, while eliminating odor and potential harm to the lungs. However, the packaging of these products is appealing to children. Most people don’t know, that THC, the principal psychoactive compound found in cannabis, can be extremely toxic to children.

In our communities and at our children’s hospital, there has been an alarming rise of accidental poisonings of children due to synthetic marijuana. It is a growing threat that demands our attention and immediate action. In 2024, we had more than a dozen children brought to our hospital for THC poisoning.

We recently admitted two young children to our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) on the same day with life threatening consequences from cannabis exposure. Young children who unknowingly ingest THC-laced products often present with significant medical emergencies, including profound lethargy, respiratory depression, seizures, and, in severe cases, coma or even near-cardiac arrest. Nearly 10 percent of children suffering from these ingestions require support in a PICU.