Marijuana edibles may be legal in the state of New York, but if you're someone who consumes them and you have children and teens, please do whatever you can to keep them hidden very far away and ideally, in a medication lockbox.

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The Upstate New York Poison Control Center issued a public warning on Tuesday, August 16, to let residents know that it has seen an alarming increase in the number of calls coming in to its center regarding children and teenagers who have accidently ingested marijuana edibles.

Most edibles are packaged to make it look like they contain regular candy or sweets which is why children reach for them and why they often consume more than adults should even consume in one sitting. Often parents don't even realize that their child has eaten an edible until some time after they have because it can take up to 90 minutes for the effects to kick in.

Marijuana can affect children differently than it does adults and when edibles are eaten by children, it can cause alarming changes in blood pressure and heart rate, can lead to severe exhaustion, breathing problems, and in some cases, can even put a child in a coma.

The number of calls placed to the Upstate Poison Control Center centered around children and teenagers who are aged 19 and younger and who have consumed food products that contain marijuana has increased by nearly six times the number of only four years ago. What's very concerning is that the greatest age group that are ingesting what they shouldn't be are children who fall at the age of five and younger.

In 2019, the Upstate New York Poison Control Center took seven calls regarding children and teens eating food containing cannabis. By early August of 2022, the Poison Center says it has taken 64 calls regarding consumption of marijuana edibles which is the highest number of calls they have taken for children under the age of five in the 65-year history of the Poison Center.

If you suspect that your child has accidently consumed marijuana edibles, you are urged to call the Upstate New York Poison Control Center immediately 800-222-1222.

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