Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login
ER visits for children sickened from marijuana has surged (msn.com)
23 points by housemusicfan 11 months ago | hide | past | favorite | 31 comments



People get anxious, and in bad cases have full blown panic attacks when they consume too much THC. Heart rate shoots up and people get the sweats when having an episode. It's enough to convince people they're about to die and need medical help.

Really, it's just a bad trip. Nobody has died from marijuana overdose, but it can cause emotional distress, especially with high doses that are easily accidentally consumable with edibles. Vomiting it out (often happens unavoidably) and hydrating is the best cure. Then sleeping it off.

It's good to remind the person having the panic attack that they're under the influence of drugs and that it will pass. In the heat of anxiety, they may forget what's actually causing them panic. This is pretty standard for other party drugs that can cause bad trips.

I know many people that have sworn off weed because of feelings of anxiety. It's not for everybody.

Source: stoner and friends with many stoners for 15 years.


People think that "Weed is a relaxant" when it is actually a mild stimulant. Newbies try it, feel their heart racing, and immediately fear the worse.

I think we need more education.


I also recommend getting them into a warm shower, I too have been a long term stoner and introduced many people to weed, the few people who reacted extremely poorly (one friend thought she was dying and started to puke everywhere) - i convinced her to take a warm shower and almost immediately she was back into reality.


I get ischemia and ST depression from marijuana due to severe tachycardia even when im not anxious. chronic marijuana use has an association with heart failure. It causes tachycardia and lowers blood pressure as a class effect. People vary in their response to this. Please stop spreading misinformation about how drugs aren’t bad, mmkay?


They didn't suggest drugs aren't bad, did they? Point out where they said so?


assuming panic attacks are all it does and that no one has died from an OD is misinformation. The class effect of lowering of blood pressure will make people want to lounge/lie down and trigger reflex tachycardia in those still standing or more sensitive to it. Those with existing heart problems are best suggested to avoid marijuana.


This article is all over the place.

I wanted to see the data that supported the idea that "Among children ages 11 to 14, girls had a particularly striking rise: a 111% average increase from 2019 to 2022".

They link to an NBC News article in that sentence.

Problem is, the only mention of girls and marijuana use I can find at that article says:

> Only 16% [of girls surveyed] said they currently use marijuana, compared with 23% in 2011.

The survey is CDC's 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, presumably conducted in 2021.

With that in mind, how does the math of "111% average increase from 2019 to 2022" work? My assumption is that the data for 2019 to 2022 shows it, but where's that data?


I can not believe legal THC gummies are allowed to taste like candy.

Current state is like if whiskey had the drinkability of Sprite. People would be fucking dead left and right.

Weed consumables should taste * bad *. They should taste like you're ingesting a powerful dissociative hallucinogen. Eating more than three should be actually gross and weird.


To be fair, some of the premixed cans of vodka/whiskey/rum can go down very easy and don’t taste of alcohol at all. Now their % is around the same as a beer so it’s not super strong, but still way to easy to drink too many on a hot day without thinking.


I wonder if the terrible taste would set you up for a bad experience.


Cocktails exist.


abstract: Experts recommend keeping edibles locked and stored out of reach of children


[flagged]


Marijuana consumer does not equal drug user unless you are going to start calling everyone in line at Starbucks a drug user too.

Drug user has a negative connotation. It typically implies (illegal) drug (ab) user.

Yes, it's not good to abuse illegal drugs, and I would say on average those folks don't follow advice or make the best decisions.

A person legally using (not abusing), a legal substance does not fall into that umbrella.


The effects that a drug has on a person are not a consequence of its legality.

By Starbucks I assume you are referring to caffeine.

The effects of consuming coffee on behavior are, substantially different from those of consuming alcohol or marijuana or various recreational drugs. I don’t mean to suggest that caffeine “isn’t a drug”, as obviously it is.

But, yeah, people who drink a lot, often make some pretty questionable decisions?

So, while linguistically people might not tend to call an alcoholic a “drug user”, it still fits in the same kind of phenomenon?

If someone has a habit of recreationally shooting up heroine, I’m still going to regard them as a “drug user” even if they happen to be in a jurisdiction where their use of it is legal.


Where is heroine legal?

Just wondering where this applies.



> unless you are going to start calling everyone in line at Starbucks a drug user too

Not OP, but I would call those people drug users, along with people who smoke tobacco and drink alcohol. Those are drugs, and people are ingesting them for their effects on the brain.

And that's fine, because drugs aren't bad, nor is using them (responsibly). I've used plenty, and I have a job and house and family, and my kids have never accidentally ingested anything apart from the time my 5 year old took a beer from a table during a party and drank half of it before anyone noticed.


>Yes, it's not good to abuse illegal drugs

The legality has absolutely zero impact on whether using the drug is abuse.

You shouldn't abuse any drug whatsoever, especially not when children are around. Using a drug to a point where it negatively effects the user or the people around him is abusing it.

If you are using a drug which significantly impairs your ability to make decision or, even worse, is spreading through the air, using it near children is abusing that drug.


I use marijuana. I follow advice and make good decisions. That's still true when intoxicated, even if the decision is "don't do anything you wouldn't do when sober."


What is “Toxic level.” What is “poisoning.” What are the risks and long term consequences?


How is this the top comment?

I’m all for legalization of marijuana but clearly it’s a pretty serious medical emergency when kids eat a bunch of edibles.

Keep your supply locked up and hidden if you have kids.


Oh yeah obviously if you leave your edibles where children can get at them, you’re being a bad parent. This is really shitty negligent behavior. Separately, the language used in the article should be carefully considered. It’s strange to say “poisoned” for a substance that has no toxic dose.


> poison, noun : a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism b (1) : something destructive or harmful (2) : an object of aversion or abhorrence

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison


I would assume any substance considered a poison has a relatively low fatal dosage.

Does THC have such a doseage? I've heard it's impossible to overdose.


I was merely pointing out that THC technically meets the definition of poison.

I’m not sure that THC has been studied thoroughly enough to determine that given its illicit status. Even though it’s “legal” in several states it is federally illegal, so it is on very shaky legal ground in those states.


Maybe stop manufacturing drugged candy? Edibles can be in a form unappealing to children. We don’t really need a little treat


Candy isnt only for children, parents need to be more responsible. Child-proofing the planet isn't a reasonable option.


Adults could always just be responsible. Unless you make them look like broccoli kids will probably try to eat them.



We realized that sweet flavoring and nicotine together were a bad idea and banned the combination. Why did nobody realize the same about THC?


It should never have been banned. Children's preferences shouldn't dictate what's restricted in adult product markets. Any bans should be reversed.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: