BC Poison Control Calls for Cannabis Doubled in Children After Legalization
British Columbia poison control data showed cannabis-related calls for children under 10 doubled after legalization, with edibles accounting for most pediatric exposures post-legalization.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis-related poison control calls for children <10 increased from an average of 12/year pre-legalization to 25/year post-legalization. Edibles were involved in 72% of post-legalization pediatric calls vs. 18% pre-legalization. Most children experienced mild-moderate symptoms. No deaths were reported. Teen calls (13-17) did not significantly increase.
Key Numbers
12/year to 25/year in children <10; edibles: 18% to 72% of pediatric calls; teens not significantly affected; no deaths reported.
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of British Columbia Drug and Poison Information Centre data from 2013-2023, spanning pre-legalization (2013-2018) and post-legalization (2019-2023) periods.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis legalization has consistently been associated with increased pediatric exposures, primarily from edibles. This Canadian data confirms the US pattern and underscores the need for child-resistant packaging and storage education.
The Bigger Picture
Every jurisdiction that has legalized cannabis has seen increased pediatric exposures from edibles. The BC data adds to the case for stronger packaging regulations and parent education as essential components of legalization policy.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Poison control calls underestimate true exposures. Cannot determine severity beyond what is reported to poison control. Pre-legalization cannabis use may be underreported. No long-term outcome data.
Questions This Raises
- ?Have child-resistant packaging regulations reduced pediatric exposures in jurisdictions that implemented them?
- ?Should edible cannabis products have additional restrictions beyond packaging?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Population-level poison control data provides reliable trend information, though it underestimates true exposure rates.
- Study Age:
- 2025 analysis of BC poison control data spanning 2013-2023.
- Original Title:
- Impact of legalization on cannabis exposure calls to the British Columbia Poison Control Centre.
- Published In:
- Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique (2025)
- Authors:
- Trieu, Jeffrey, Dobbin, Nina, Henderson, Sarah B, McVea, David
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07822
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Did legalization increase cannabis poisoning in children?
Yes. BC poison control calls for children under 10 doubled after legalization, with edibles accounting for most cases. Importantly, teen exposures did not significantly increase.
Are cannabis edibles dangerous for children?
Edibles accounted for 72% of post-legalization pediatric poison control calls in BC. Most children had mild-moderate symptoms and no deaths were reported, but some required emergency care.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07822APA
Trieu, Jeffrey; Dobbin, Nina; Henderson, Sarah B; McVea, David. (2025). Impact of legalization on cannabis exposure calls to the British Columbia Poison Control Centre.. Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-025-01022-8
MLA
Trieu, Jeffrey, et al. "Impact of legalization on cannabis exposure calls to the British Columbia Poison Control Centre.." Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 2025. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-025-01022-8
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Impact of legalization on cannabis exposure calls to the Bri..." RTHC-07822. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/trieu-2025-impact-of-legalization-on
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.