Marijuana edibles can lead to emergency room visits if consumed in excess or if users have adverse reactions, Dr. Andrew Monte, an emergency medicine physician and toxicology expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, said on Mar. 20.
As more visitors come to Colorado curious about legal marijuana products, Monte urges caution with edibles. He said that while some people use them for medical reasons like pain management, they are not recommended for recreational users—especially those who are new to cannabis or unfamiliar with how edibles work.
Monte highlighted that edible marijuana affects individuals differently and may take up to four hours before any effects are felt. “The biggest mistake new users make is continuing to ingest edibles if they don’t feel high right away. Then, the high hits hard and can last for several hours, leading some people to feel sick or anxious and seek help in ERs,” he said.
Research led by Monte found that emergency room visits due to edibles were 33 times higher than expected when compared with inhaled forms of marijuana—even though smoking is much more common. He advises starting with no more than 2.5 to 5 milligrams of THC and never mixing edibles with alcohol or other drugs.
Negative side effects from consuming too many edibles can include a racing heart, excessive sweating, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, and delusions. “They can cause people to freak out. Clearly, edibles have a more severe toxicity than inhaled forms, and the effects are psychiatric in nature,” Monte said.
There have been three deaths in Colorado linked directly to overconsumption of marijuana edibles: a college student who jumped from a building after eating six times the recommended dose; another student whose family blamed his suicide on edible consumption; and a Denver man who killed his wife after consuming as much as 50 milligrams of THC-laced products.
Monte also warned about accidental ingestion by children or pets since many edible products resemble regular food items like brownies or candies. He recommends keeping all cannabis-infused foods locked away from kids and animals.
