Marijuana ingestion in children younger than 5 up more than 1,000%

Abstract

In the past 7 years, rates of marijuana ingestion – mostly edibles that look like candy – among children under 5 years old has risen more than 1,000%, according to research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference in Denver last week. The study, Rising Trends in Pediatric Marijuana Ingestions: A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Department Presentations, reviewed over 2,300 pediatric emergency department (ED) cases from 2016 through 2023. “Even young children in states where marijuana is not legal are being hospitalized after unintentionally ingesting cannabis products—often edibles that look like candy,” said study author Brittain Robinson, MD, FAAP, of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. The study was conducted at a pediatric ED in Tennessee, where cannabis remains illegal. In addition, the proportion of total ED visits attributable to marijuana ingestion tripled during this time.