Halifax’s IWK Health Centre issues weed warning — and gets it wrong

The Izaak Walton Killam Health Centre (IWK) in Halifax, N.S., has issued a warning to parents about the dangers of cannabis and cannabis edibles. The center has reportedly received triple the amount of calls in 2018, on their poison control hotline, when compared to 2015.

 

 

The renowned children’s hospital says poison control centres have reported a major uptick in calls since legalization last year–particularly those involving the consumption of edibles and concentrates. Children 12 and under are especially affected, they say.

If you know or suspect your child has eaten a cannabis product, call the IWK Regional Poison Prevention Centre immediately at 1-800-565-8161 in NS and PEI. In NB, call 911. This is national #PoisonPreventionWeek … please share! #PPW2019 #PoisonPreventionWeek2019 pic.twitter.com/2TNLgqU184

— Child Safety Link (@childsafetylink) March 19, 2019

“Right now, there are no regulations for safe storage of cannabis products, such as child-resistant packages or warning labels. That’s why it’s crucial to store all cannabis products in a locked space or container, out of the reach of kids,” Julie Harrington of the IWK’s Child Safety Link said in a widely-circulated and seemingly uncontested statement.

The thing is, that’s not remotely accurate.

The Cannabis Act states that “the immediate container in which a cannabis product, other than a cannabis plant or cannabis plant seeds, is packaged must… meet the requirements of a child-resistant package under subsections C.01.001(2) to (4) of the Food and Drug Regulations.”

A child-resistant package must meet a plethora of requirements, including that “in the case of a test group comprising children, cannot be opened (A) by at least 85 percent of those children prior to a demonstration to them of the proper means of opening the package, and (B) by at least 80 percent of those children after the demonstration,” in addition to other regulations.

Atlantic Canada’s largest children’s hospital is warning parents about the risks of edible weed, after a flood of cannabis-related calls to its poison centre last year.

There are also strict rules related to labeling cannabis products, including a ban on labeling that “could be appealing to young persons.”

Edible cannabis products are currently illegal to sell, although individuals are allowed to make their own. That is expected to change by October of this year. Any edibles currently up for sale are from the illicit market, which is not known for following Health Canada (or other) regulations; that said, those regulations are in place.

It’s important to store cannabis and related products out of reach of children, and that parents be aware of the risks of storing the drug irresponsibly.

Likewise, it’s important to avoid spreading misinformation, which discredits what is otherwise a valid and important message.