Edible Marijuana Becoming A Hit Despite Health Risks

Gone are the days when people used to smoke pot. Smoking, after all, is bad for you. But we all have to eat, right? Not so fast. It turns out that edible marijuana is even more damaging to your health than the good old fashioned smoking kind.

Healthcare workers warn that the newly developed and ever increasing edible marijuana products poses great health risks to children and adults alike.

Edible marijuana products keep increasing in popularity, thus creating a great demand that dealers are compelled to satisfy. But due to the highly competitive nature of the market, they don’t always take the time to grow their crops properly and care for them appropriately.

And on the business side of things, branding, packaging and variety in their lines of product are also robbing them of time that they could invest in making quality marijuana-based edibles. Of course, even if they had the needed time, one has to wonder if drug dealers are the most health-conscious, safety-oriented or ethical entrepreneurs out there.

Common foods infused with the plant include homemade baked goods, candies, chocolates, lollipops, but let’s not forget mint-flavored and neon-colored drinks.

It’s easy to see why they have such a widespread reach: they’re easy to sell. They’re friendly to kids and teens that might want to avoid having to answer to an adult, or they could end up consuming them by accident at a party or buying them themselves without suspecting that the sweets they purchased have a secret ingredient.

Every year a number of children find themselves paying hospitals a visit after accidentally consuming dangerous marijuana-based foods. In 2013, eight children were admitted to hospitals for accidentally eating such products, believing that they’re regular sweets. In 2014, 6 more children were admitted for exactly the same reason.

If people are new to consuming the drug, their bodies will most likely not be ready for the slow and mild high that’s to come. It will simply make them sick. If they eat too much, or eat too fast, they will suffer massive anxiety attacks with symptoms that could even start to resemble psychosis.

Authorities are determined to put an end to marijuana intoxication cases, however they’re having trouble identifying marijuana-based foods and drinks as they look like all the other goods. They’re shaped nicely and packed neatly inside legit-looking packages that make them look like average supermarket foods.

The phenomenon might also be aided by the legal status of marijuana consumption in the US. As of right now, the drug is only legal in two of our states – Washington and Colorado. Everyone else has to purchase the drug in illegal ways, a behavior that could be encouraged by a feeling of jealousy or a sense of unfairness or inequality – why are they treated any different than the people living in Washington and Colorado?

Image Source: huffpost.com