Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana in 2018, which has been associated with an increase in the number of marijuana-related exposure reports to the Oklahoma Poison Center. Oklahoma Watch reported, “In 2022, 583 cases of accidental marijuana consumption were reported to the Oklahoma Poison Center. Almost half involved a child under 6 and most involved edibles.” Citing data from the Oklahoma Poison Center, they provided the following breakdowns:
2018: 81
0-5 years: 13
6-19 years: 25
20+ years: 43
2019: 237
0-5 years: 55
6-19 years: 76
20+ years: 106
2020: 433
0-5 years: 140
6-19 years: 124
20+ years: 169
2021: 438
0-5 years: 196
6-19 years: 120
20+ years: 122
2022: 583
0-5 years: 269
6-19 years: 175
20+ years: 139
Between 2018, when Oklahoma voted to legalize medical marijuana, and 2022, the number of marijuana exposures reported to the Oklahoma Poison Center increased by 1969% among 0–5-year-olds, by 600% among 6–19-year-olds, and by 223% among those 20 or older. Of note, these are likely underestimates because many exposures likely go unreported.
This trend isn’t new. From 2018 to 2023, Missouri saw the number of marijuana poison calls for children aged 5 and under increase by 2,300%, and from 2020 to 2023, 3-year-olds in Illinois had an increase of 103.7% in marijuana edible exposures after legalization.
These issues are exacerbated by the development of increasingly attractive marijuana products by the profit-driven marijuana industry. THC-infused products are made to look like traditional candies, cookies, and drinks, which can be inadvertently eaten by a toddler.
To help visualize the extent of this situation nationwide, SAM created an interactive map showing instances of THC hospitalizations and ED visits reported in local news outlets. The map shows any THC-related story, including Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC. Click here to view the map.
