AG Yost issues warning about illegal cannabis products impersonating snack brands

COLUMBUS – Attorney General Dave Yost is warning Ohioans about illegal and dangerous cannabis edibles and hemp derivatives that are packaged to look like brands of snack foods and candy.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the most common overdoses among children nationwide involve ingestion of edible cannabis foods and the overdoses continue to rise. In the first half of 2021, the American Association of Poison Control Centers reported that hotlines received 2,622 calls for services related to young children ingesting cannabis products.

Ohio’s two poison control centers also reported a significant increase in children ingesting such products in 2020. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Drug and Poison Information Center reported 79 cases of ingestion in 2020; that up from 38 in 2019. Nationwide Children’s Hospital Central Ohio Poison Center also reported 79 consults in 2020. that is up from just 16 in 2019.

None of these cannabis products are legally sold in Ohio. The sale of marijuana for certain medical reasons is legal for adults in the state.

In approved uses, a single serving of an edible cannabis product contains 10 mg of THC and a multiple-serving package must contain less than 100 mg of total THC. By comparison, some of the illegal bags contain 600-1,000 mg of THC.

“The levels of THC in these fakes could have some real and devastating consequences for children,” Yost said. “Parents need to be extra cautious, especially around Halloween, that these copycat products don’t wind up in treat bags.”

Symptoms of THC overdose include respiratory distress, loss of coordination, lethargy, and loss of consciousness. If your child is sick and you suspect he or she has eaten a food containing high amounts of THC, call the Central Ohio Poison Center Hotline at 1-800-222-1222.