Unintentional marijuana ingestions in children under 5 rose over 1,000% in 7 years, with edibles and pandemic-related factors fuelling the trend.
Unintentional marijuana ingestions among children younger than 5 years have risen more than 1,000% in the past seven years, according to research presented at the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) 2025 National Conference & Exhibition in Denver, Colorado.1,2
The retrospective study, Rising Trends in Paediatric Marijuana Ingestions: A Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on Emergency Department Presentations, reviewed over 2,300 paediatric emergency department (ED) cases from 2016 through 2023. Researchers found sharp increases in exposures during the COVID-19 pandemic, with children most often consuming cannabis edibles that resembled candy.
“Even young children in states where marijuana is not legal are being hospitalized after unintentionally ingesting cannabis products—often edibles that look like candy,” said study author Brittain Robinson, MD, FAAP, of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
