COLUMBUS, United States — Accidental ingestion of cannabis and other recreational drugs among American children younger than six rose more than 3,300 per cent over 25 years, with edible marijuana products accounting for a large share of the cases, a new study has found.
Researchers identified 41,612 accidental ingestions reported to United States poison centres between 2000 and 2024. The rate increased from 1.05 cases per 100,000 children in 2000 to 35.91 per 100,000 in 2024.
Cannabinoids were involved in 84.7 per cent of the cases, while marijuana products accounted for 77 per cent. Edible marijuana preparations alone represented 47.9 per cent of all the ingestions examined.
The findings were published in BMC Public Health and discussed in a CNN interview with Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University.
On Thursday, September 10, 2026, Wen said the increasing availability of cannabis products in American homes was an important factor in understanding the rise, particularly because edible products can resemble sweets and other foods familiar to children.
Most Incidents Occurred at Home
The study, led by researchers affiliated with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, analysed reports contained in the National Poison Data System from 2000 through 2024.
Nearly half of the incidents involved one- and two-year-old children, and 57.6 per cent involved children younger than three.
More than 96 per cent of the ingestions occurred in a residence, and 95.9 per cent involved a single substance.
The researchers found that the overall rate began rising particularly rapidly after 2013. The increase was especially pronounced for marijuana edibles and products containing psilocybin, the psychoactive substance found in certain mushrooms.
The rate of reported marijuana-edible ingestion rose from 0.05 cases per 100,000 children in 2013 to 20.99 per 100,000 in 2024.
The researchers said increased cannabis availability following legalisation in many states may have contributed to the trend, but the study did not establish legalisation as the sole cause.
Thousands of Children Required Hospital Care
Although just over half of the children experienced either no symptoms or minor effects, some cases resulted in serious illness.
About 32 per cent of the children were medically admitted, including 12 per cent who required treatment in critical-care units.
Five per cent experienced what poison centres classified as a major medical effect, including life-threatening symptoms or significant disability. Six children died during the 25-year period, all of them younger than three.
Children under three were more likely than those aged three to five to suffer a major effect or require critical care.
Marijuana edibles were associated with nearly 5,000 medical admissions and 555 cases classified as having major effects.
Cannabis-related cases were individually less likely to result in severe outcomes than incidents involving several other categories of recreational drugs, but their much greater frequency meant they accounted for a substantial number of hospital admissions.
Opioids Carried Greater Risk of Severe Outcomes
Cannabinoids dominated the overall number of reported cases, but the study found that some less frequently ingested substances were more likely to cause severe medical problems.
Stimulants, including cocaine and methamphetamine, accounted for 8.4 per cent of cases. Psychedelics represented 3.5 per cent, opioids 2.8 per cent, and dissociative drugs 0.6 per cent.
More than 27 per cent of opioid ingestions resulted in major effects, compared with 9.1 per cent for stimulants and 3.8 per cent for cannabinoids.
Nearly 30 per cent of children who accidentally ingested opioids required admission to a critical-care unit.
The researchers also found a substantial increase in accidental ingestion of psilocybin products. The rate involving psilocybin and psilocin mushrooms and processed products rose sharply between 2018 and 2024.
Some processed mushroom products are sold as gummies or chocolates, creating a similar risk that young children could mistake them for ordinary food.
Doctors Urge Locked Storage
Wen said tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the principal psychoactive component of cannabis, can cause severe drowsiness, confusion, vomiting, impaired coordination, and changes in heart rate when consumed by young children.
More serious poisoning can lead to slowed breathing, seizures, loss of consciousness, or coma.
The risk is increased by a young child’s smaller body size, because an amount intended for an adult can represent a much larger dose relative to the child’s weight.
Edibles can pose an additional problem because their effects may be delayed while THC is absorbed through the digestive system.
A parent may therefore not immediately connect a child’s unusual sleepiness or behaviour with something eaten earlier.
Wen advised parents and carers who suspect that a child has swallowed cannabis or another recreational drug not to wait for symptoms to appear.
Parents should not attempt to induce vomiting or use home remedies, Wen said.
Where possible, the product packaging should be kept so medical professionals can determine what substance and concentration may have been consumed.
Cannabis products should be kept in their original packaging and stored in a locked location that children cannot see or reach.
She also advised adults not to transfer cannabis gummies or other edibles into ordinary sweet or food containers and said the same precautions should apply in the homes of grandparents, babysitters, relatives, and other places where children spend time.
The researchers said prevention efforts should include education for parents and carers, safer storage, poison-centre and public-health outreach, and policies intended to reduce children’s access to recreational drugs.
The study was based on incidents reported to U.S. poison centres and therefore does not represent every accidental recreational-drug ingestion that occurred nationally during the period.
