Changes in Exposures of US Children Ages 12 and Under to Cannabis from 2000 to 2024

OBJECTIVES: In the United States, significant federal cannabis policy changes occurred in 2009, 2013, and in 2018. This study reviews trends in reported cannabis exposures to children in light of those policy changes. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive observational time-trend analysis. Secondary analysis of annual data from US poison centers. Participants were cases reported to US poison centers and entered in the National Poison Data System from 2000 to 2024. Rates of pediatric cannabis exposures reported to America's Poison Centers are given, along with trends in those exposures. RESULTS: Reported pediatric exposures of the under-6-year age group to cannabis were stable from 2000 to 2009. Starting in 2010, exposures began to increase, with the rise continuing to 2024, the most recent year of data availability. Between 2009 and 2024, such exposures increased by 6386% from 132 to a total of 8430 exposures. Cannabis exposures in the 6-12 age group also increased during the same period (increase from 21 to 2894; 13,781%). CONCLUSIONS: There was an increase of more than 6000% in reported pediatric exposures to cannabis in the United States between 2009 and 2024 in both the under-6 and the 6-12 years age groups. This rise is temporally associated with changes in federal cannabis policy that began in 2009. Because of the negative effects on children's health, public health policy adjustments are warranted.