Americans under the age of 20 made up 56 percent of all 2022 exposures to Delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance found in cannabis sativa plants like marijuana and hemp.
And while teenagers comprised 15 percent of these exposures, children 12 and under constituted 41 percent, according to data from America’s Poison Centers 2022 Annual Report of the National Poison Data System.
Consuming Delta-8 THC leads to adverse events including hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, dizziness, anxiety, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
Hemp-derived THC products often look like candy and come in child-friendly packaging at convenience stores and gas stations, leading to children accidentally consuming them.