MS parents should watch out for THC products mistaken for children’s snacks, FDA warns

Chelsea Madden
·3 min read
8

THC gummies, candy, chocolate. Oh my.

Cannabis products are everywhere right now and they can be purchased in the form of candy, cereal, chocolate and other popular snacks.

While many enjoy these products, others may find it a bit dangerous because the products are packaged to look just like their cannabis-free counterparts.

The look-alike products have even caught the attention of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a report by the FDA, the administration found that: “Edible products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can be easily mistaken for commonly consumed foods such as breakfast cereal, candy, and cookies, and accidentally ingested.”

The report revealed that the THC products use almost the same logos, brand names and colors as the original well-known food.

The FDA issued a warning to parents about these cannabis products because their packaging is similar to regulated food products that do not contain THC.
The FDA issued a warning to parents about these cannabis products because their packaging is similar to regulated food products that do not contain THC.

And most of these foods look like popular children’s’ snacks like Cap’n Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, Froot Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Nerds Ropes, Starbursts, Sour Patch Kids, and Trix.

FDA warns of cannabis’ danger to children

According to the FDA’s report, national poison control centers have had more than 10,000 cases involving edible THC products from January 2021 to May 2022.

Of those cases, more than 75% involved people 19 years of age or younger.

The FDA is specifically concerned about children ingesting these products because the report revealed:

  • 91% of these unintentional exposures affected pediatric patients

  • 79% of the total cases required health care facility evaluation, of which 7% resulted in admission to a critical care unit

  • 83% of patients requiring health care facility evaluation were pediatric patients

  • One pediatric case was coded with a medical outcome of death following the ingestion of a suspected delta-8 THC edible

Since many cannabis products are packaged to look like other popular candy and snacks, the FDA has issued a warning to parents.

But what will actually happen if a child ingests one of these products that contains THC?

Well, according to the FDA, it may cause some serious adverse effects.

In fact, the FDA reported that children who have eaten cannabis products have experienced the following:

  • Hallucinations;

  • increased heart rate;

  • vomiting; and

  • many required medical intervention or hospital admission

The products consumed were specifically made to look like Cocoa Pebbles, Gushers, Nerds Rope, Skittles, Sour Patch Kids and Starburst.

What should I do if my child accidentally eats a product with THC?

Here is what the FDA recommends:

  • Call 9-1-1 or get emergency medical help right away if you or someone in your care has serious side effects from these products. Always keep these products in a safe place out of reach of children.

  • Call the local poison control center (1-800-222-1222) if a child has consumed these products. Do not wait for symptoms to call.

  • Contact your health care provider if you or someone in your care recently ingested these products and you have health concerns.

The FDA also recommends submitting a complaint. Here’s how:

Health care professionals, patients and consumers are encouraged to report complaints and cases of exposure and adverse events. Here’s what to do:

Local poison control center:

The Mississippi Poison Control Center is available 24 hours a day every day of the year.

To reach the center, call 1-800-222-1222. Most of the time, the center can take care of the emergency over the phone.

When medical treatment is needed, the center’s experts will call for an ambulance and stay on the phone until the ambulance arrives.

What is Delta-8 and is it legal in your state? Here’s what to know.

Here’s what you need to know about medical marijuana in Mississippi

What do you think of the FDA’s warning to parents? Are you surprised that cannabis products look like popular brands? Comment below or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com