Poisoned tots and other ugly consequences of – Latest News
Skyrocketing little one ER admissions for marijuana poisonings are the newest signal of how poorly then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature’s leaders thought by means of pot legalization.
The state Department of Health simply reported that cannabis-poisoning-related emergency-room visits have doubled, from roughly 1,200 in 2016 to just about 2,400 in 2024.
And the rise in ER admits was over 1,600% for toddlers, as pot-poisoning (i.e., edibles and candies) incidents exceeded these involving Tylenol, aspirin and other painkillers mixed.
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The DOH additionally discovered that 16% of teenagers who commonly use hashish will develop Cannabis Use Disorder in comparison with about 10% of people who solely begin utilizing as adults.
National research show that states with legalized pot have seen spikes in psychotic and bipolar issues amongst younger adults.
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All these points acquired ignored as Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins rushed to decriminalize marijuana and legalizing business gross sales.
Cuomo was chasing his presidential ambitions; Democratic lawmakers wished a tax-revenue windfall.
Together, they own the outcomes, together with the spike in poisoned tots and the new era of marijuana-addled teenagers — in addition to the continued dysfunction of the state Office of Cannabis Management.
To be honest: So much of us didn’t count on pot legalization to return with so many unintended consequences.
But that doesn’t excuse Heastie, Stewart-Cousins and Gov. Kathy Hochul from dealing with the details, even when it means rethinking legalization altogether.
