Cannabis and Children
Medicinal and recreational cannabis is legal in the majority of the United States. Little is known about the effects of this substance on children. We are seeing a dramatic increase in the amount of young children accidentally ingesting cannabis products. Our researchers are committed to understanding how widespread cannabis use is impacting very young children. Our team is working with community partners and policy makers to prevent unintentional ingestions and develop polices that keep children safe.
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There has been a substantial increase in young children accidentally ingesting cannabis products since 2020. These ingestions are causing young children to become ill and need emergency medical attention. the most common form of ingestion is a candy edible.
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Dr. Laub has been researching accidental cannabis ingestions in children since 2014. Her work recently published shows that children are receiving unnecessary testing and treatment after ingesting cannabis. The research can be found HERE
In 2024 the researchers completed a longitudinal study looking at CPS outcomes of young children who test positive for cannabis. That study can be found HERE.
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Dr. Laub and her research team have been working with local and national community stakeholders to reduce the number of children accidentally exposed to cannabis products. Dr. Laub has participated in multiple news conferences regarding her research. Dr. Laub is working at the state level on new legislation to help reduce accidental edible consumption among young children.
Cannabis Safety Press Conference
NBC Cannabis Safety news report
87% of cannabis accidentally consumed by toddlers is in the form of a candy edible
60% of children accidentally ingest cannabis products in their home
