The Real Dangers of THC
By Rick Sherrill, The EDGE Educator
As marijuana becomes more widely available across the country, parents need to be more alert than ever. THC—the chemical in marijuana that causes a high—is now being sold in a range of colorful, sweet, and misleadingly innocent-looking forms that are luring young people in and sending some straight to the emergency room. These are not just casual encounters with a “harmless” plant. Kids are getting seriously sick, and the risks are only growing.
Many of our UTurn afterschool program participants have described horrible overdoses from just one “puff” of a vape pen or a small “gummy,” leading to severe nausea, cramping, hallucinations, and even panic attacks right in the middle of the school day. These unregulated substances have even been found to contain fentanyl. Tragically, loopholes in current laws allow these products to be sold at gas stations and dispensaries.
Edible marijuana products often mimic snacks kids already love: gummy candies, brownies, cookies, lollipops—even sodas and lemonade. But unlike the snacks we know, these are loaded with concentrated doses of THC. A single cookie might contain multiple times the adult dose, and when a child unknowingly consumes the whole thing, the results can be frightening. Children have shown up in emergency rooms with slurred speech, difficulty breathing, panic attacks, rapid heart rate, and even seizures. Some become so lethargic they’re barely responsive, while others become highly agitated and paranoid. These are not mild symptoms—they’re the kind that terrify parents and leave doctors racing to reverse the effects.
Part of the danger comes from how these products work. When marijuana is eaten, it takes much longer to kick in than when it’s smoked. A teen might eat an edible, feel nothing after twenty minutes, and take more in an attempt to speed up the high—leading to accidental overdose. It can take hours before the full effects hit, and by then, it's too late. Tragic stories have emerged, like the young college student in Colorado who jumped to his death after eating a marijuana cookie with six times the recommended serving of THC.
It’s not just older teens making risky decisions. Toddlers and young children are increasingly the victims of accidental poisoning. Between 2017 and 2021, cannabis edible poisonings in kids under age six rose more than 1,300%. In many cases, the kids thought they were grabbing a sweet treat, not a drug. Packaging often looks just like familiar name-brand candy, with slight name changes that most adults wouldn’t even catch. This has made it easy for young children to unknowingly consume dangerous levels of THC, sending them to emergency rooms across the country.
Some states have tried to curb the problem with rules around childproof packaging and labeling, but it’s not enough. Studies show that even in states with strict packaging laws, ER visits for marijuana poisoning continue to rise. The bottom line is this: the best way to keep kids safe is not to bring these products into your home at all. If you must, keep them locked away, out of reach, and never use them in front of children. Your example matters.
More than ever, kids need to hear the truth—that marijuana is not harmless. It affects memory, judgment, coordination, and mental health, especially in growing minds. And when it’s hidden in candy and snacks, it becomes even more dangerous. Don’t wait for a close call. Start the conversation. Keep it clear: weed in any form—whether Delta-8, Delta-9, cartridges, vape fluid, or edibles—is not safe for kids.
Call Rick Sherrill at The Edge, 423-775-0019, with questions regarding a Safe Families approach.