An unregulated hemp market in Massachusetts is helping drive a surge in cannabis exposure in kids, according to Insa, a licensed cannabis company operating in the state.
NBC10 Boston obtained health data from the Massachusetts Department of Health that confirms the surge.
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In a 36-month period, ending in 2023, cases in which children under age 13 were taken to the emergency room after ingesting cannabis were up 97% when compared to the same prior timeframe.
Typically, the ingestion was an accident. Often, the hallucinations were severe.
"They'll develop something that we call 'cannabis-induced psychosis,' meaning that they actually have sort of a lapse of their connection with reality," said Dr. Scott Hadland at M