One of the unforeseen issues with the legalization of recreational marijuana use by adults in states like Colorado has been overdoses related to marijuana edibles. These are often baked goods and other edibles where the drug is infused into the preparation process and consumed with the food or candy.
There are several dangers in this that have sprung up, quite in addition to regular use of the drug. One of them is that these edibles are more appealing to young people, and there have been numerous emergency room visits due to children consuming the drug by eating marijuana-infused cookies and other treats.
The THC content (the active ingredient in marijuana) is hard to control in these dangerous snacks as well. Sometimes there may be five or more “servings” in a chocolate bar, for example, yet a person eats the whole thing and winds up overdosing on marijuana. Another way that these overdoses occur is because unlike smoking the drug, eating it has a delayed effect since it has to pass through the stomach first. This has caused many people to continue consumption well past the amount the intended, and then it’s too late once it starts to take effect.
Marijuana overdose situations can include a variety of symptoms, such as extreme nervousness or paranoia, pounding headache, racing heart, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and more. It’s not to be taken lightly, especially as more people are showing up in emergency rooms due to marijuana intoxication.
Despite claims to the contrary, people can and do become addicted to marijuana and need treatment help to recover from it. If you or someone you love has a problem with marijuana, contact us today for more information on our effective drug rehabilitation services.