(WXYZ) — Henry Ford Health System is warning parents to be aware of marijuana edibles and flavored water.
Cannabis infused water is now available in Michigan and Henry Ford Health System says marijuana edibles are more "available than ever."
Pediatricians say parents need to be aware of signs their children have accidentally ingested or overdosed on marijuana, especially if parents are keeping those products within reach.
Dr. Leonard Pollack said in a blog post that if parents don't know their child overdosed, proper medical treatment could be delayed.
“Until we realize that they overdosed on edibles, we would worry that symptoms were being caused by meningitis or another serious issue,” he said.
If a child does ingest edibles, they’re given an IV with fluids to help flush out the marijuana. “There isn’t really any other antidote,” Dr. Pollack said.
Dr. Pollack recommends taking the following precautions to prevent accidental overdoses from occurring:
- Keep them out of reach from children. “Know that they’re dangerous medications. Treat them like you would any other medication,” says Dr. Pollack.
- Take them out of packaging that’s made to look like candy. Put them in something that’s not going to be enticing to children—preferably a child-proof container.
- If your child is old enough, teach them how to read the packaging. If there’s a leaf or vocabulary that insinuates it’s not just candy, explain this to them, so they’ll know if they see it at school.
