Poison center fields more pot inquiries

Calls to Oklahoma’s poison control hotline for help related to marijuana increased by 75 percent in 2017 and could continue to rise as medical marijuana legalization moves forward.

The Oklahoma Center for Poison and Drug Information reported it received 94 calls for exposure to marijuana products in 2017, up from 54 in 2016. Scott Schaeffer, the center’s managing director, said some of the increase could be from parents feeling more comfortable calling for help, but that he thinks broader use of marijuana is a major factor.

“People seem to be more interested in marijuana for treating various conditions, so there’s more out there,” he said.

Symptoms of taking too much marijuana include nausea and vomiting, a fast heart rate, confusion, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations or delusions. The effects depend on the type of marijuana, how much a person took and the person’s size, Schaeffer said. The biggest things to watch for is loss of consciousness and signs of confusion or hallucinations, especially if people seem frightened and could injure themselves, he said.

More than half of calls were related to teenagers, who most likely knew what they were ingesting, but calls about younger children and adults also increased. Some people who aren’t experienced marijuana users accidentally take too much, particularly when using edibles, because the effects don’t hit them immediately.

Parents who intend to use marijuana should keep it in a locked container, somewhere where younger children can’t reach it and older children won’t know where it is, Schaeffer said. They also shouldn’t use marijuana products in front of children, who may try to imitate, he said.

While it’s especially necessary to be careful with edibles, parents shouldn’t assume children aren’t interested in buds, oils or other forms of marijuana, Schaeffer said. Toddlers will eat cigarette butts, so an adult’s standard of what is and isn’t appealing doesn’t apply, he said.

“They experience their environment by putting things in their mouth,” he said.

If a child does ingest marijuana, parents should know that the poison center doesn’t alert police, Schaeffer said. A staff member will follow up with

a family as long as necessary, to determine whether the child needs medical attention or can safely remain at home, he said.

“The fact that parents call us is an indication that they’re looking out for the child’s best interest,” he said.

The number for the poison hotline is 800222-1222. For more information, visit OklahomaPoison.org.