According to the federal government, it is projected that by this fall cannabis edibles will be legal in Ontario. With this legalization, comes the concern that edibles pose a danger to not only children, but to those ingesting them as well.
Mary Rodrigues, who is the treasurer of MADD London, says that people should educate themselves before experimenting with these products.
“One of the main concerns that I have with cannabis edibles, is the fact that they tend to closely resemble children’s treats and snacks. For example, a lot of edibles appear in the form of gummy bears, granola bars, brownies and suckers. These are foods that children are typically attracted to, which could pose a serious threat,” said Rodrigues.
She says that when Denver, Colorado introduced edibles, the hospital saw more than an 1,000 per cent increase in children being admitted due to ingesting cannabis edibles accidentally.
“My fear is that we will be unable to control if edibles are introduced into environments where children are. Parents will have to consider factors like their babysitter bringing edibles into their household.”
Rodrigues can only hope that parents will educate themselves and their children on what edibles are and the risks that they pose. She suggests storing edibles in a place that is out of the reach of young children, or keeping them out of the home completely.
Aside from the danger that edibles pose to children, Rodriguez is also concerned by the length of time edibles take for effects to occur. She says that, “a lot of people do not realize that when they ingest edibles, they will not take effect as quickly as inhaling cannabis would. When you are inhaling cannabis, it is reaching your bloodstream at a much quicker pace than ingesting it would.”
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She says that because people are unaware and expect the effects of edibles to happen almost instantaneously, they will think that the THC in the cannabis is not effecting them. She says that, “this often results in people taking more than the ‘necessary’ amount.” As an advocate and spokesperson against impaired driving, Rodrigues wants people to seriously take into account the delayed effects that edibles have.
As of right now, the federal government has only indicated that edibles containing cannabis and cannabis concentrates would be legal on, or prior to October 17, 2019.
WATCH: Mary Rodrigues explains why cannabis edibles are problematic
*Photo credit: Ontario Cannabis Store and MADD
