Toxicity of edible cannabis

Martha Stewart is now selling gourmet, hemp-derived CBD edibles. “I can pop 20 of them and just feel OK,” she told a journalist. “But some of my friends do two and feel high. I don’t know why.”

Reactions to edibles made with CBD or THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana) can be unpredictable — and have negative health effects. A study, published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, looked at cases of cannabis toxicity from baked goods, candy, gum and beverages at seven Michigan hospitals from November 2018, when marijuana became legal there, to July 2020. In those years, the number of patients, ages 1 to 82, seen in ERs for adverse reactions to cannabis-laced edibles rose from zero to over 10 a month. And we suspect a lot more folks have adverse reactions but don’t seek medical help.

What causes problems? The active drug in edibles takes up to an hour to kick in. Folks get impatient, eat more and end up with a fast heart rate, seizures, unresponsiveness, high blood pressure and extreme emotional distress. And kids mistakenly “snack” on edibles left lying around.

Several in the Michigan study had to be intubated because of slowed heart rates and breathing problems.

These acute effects are on top of the long-term inhibition of brain development in males younger than 21 and females younger than 18 that’s been proven. So if you’re trying edibles, get clear instructions on dosing from a licensed dispensary, and follow them — and keep edibles locked up, away from children.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare. com.