Experts urge caution with cannabis edibles

As Illinois moves toward legal marijuana, some experts in states where legalization is already a way of life are urging caution.

"What we've actually seen is an increase in visits to the emergency department," says Dr. Andrew Monte from the UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital in Denver. "We had a report that tourists actually came to the state and ended up in emergency departments".

It's logical that some of these tourists come from states where marijuana is still illegal, perhaps never having had contact with these products. But it's not just visitors ending up in Colorado hospitals.

"The most common reason we see people coming into the emergency room is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome," said Monte. "This is a sick vomiting syndrome that occurs when patients really use a lot, then use every day".

But Monte says he and his colleagues were surprised by the high number of patients who had consumed edibles.

"We know that edibles are associated with a 30 times higher risk of ending up in an emergency department," he said. "The way to mitigate these risks is to start with a low dose and actually wait three hours to redeem yourself, because you don't know what these effects are".

Indeed, when marijuana becomes legal in Illinois, dispensaries will be required to post this warning.

"The effects of marijuana products can vary from person to person, and it can take up to two hours to feel the effects of some marijuana products. Review the portion size information and warnings on the product packaging carefully before consuming".

"If you smoke marijuana, you start feeling the effects immediately," he notes. "With edibles... people don't feel what they expect immediately and stack doses or mix with other drugs, like alcohol."

But critics also point to another issue with edibles: dosing. In Illinois, as in Colorado, a standard dose of THC in edibles will be 10 milligrams, with no single edible product exceeding 100 milligrams in total. (For example, 100-milligram THC chocolate bars are typically divided into 10-milligram squares).

Similar dosing limits exist for candies and gummies, but other edible products are presented as baked goods, and Monte says not everyone is careful when considering portions.

The impact of legal marijuana on children is another area where some in Colorado have particular concerns.

"Our reports for youth show that more children are using these higher-THC products," said Diane Carlson, co-founder of the group Smart Colorado. "There's a normalization happening with children."

Official statistics maintained by the State of Colorado indicate that 19.4% of high school students reported using marijuana at least once in the previous 30 days, tracking almost exactly the national average. Carlson is especially concerned about edibles and the more potent varieties of cannabis making their way to market in her legal state.

"The perception of harm is decreasing," she says. "They don't realize that these products are harmful when some of them are much more harmful than past products".

On the same note, Monte agreed. Pot in Colorado is much more potent. "The percentage of THC in marijuana over the last three decades has really skyrocketed," he said.

"When you and I were kids, the percentage of THC was in single digits, but the percentage of THC is actually about 20% here in Colorado."

Source: NBC Chicago