As many as 3.6 million patients legally use medical marijuana in the US. And a significant percentage of this number includes parents or people who live with children. Now, being an MMJ patient around children is a risky business. Why? Because a little bit of carelessness can result in accidental ingestion of cannabis by children. And it’s a serious concern at the moment.
As per a report, the number of children who have ingested cannabis accidentally has increased 29 times since 2010! I’m sure you would not want your children to be rushing to the hospital for having ingested your THC or CBD edibles. So, how do you prevent this?
A few steps of caution are enough to be safe around children. Let’s discuss them.
The first step to being safe with medical cannabis around children is proper storage. Now, if you use vapes or buds, it’s highly unlikely that your children will try to mess around with it. But, in the case of edibles, you may have to be a little more cautious.
CBD Edibles are available in the form of gummies, cookies, chocolates, and even lollipops. Each of these products is infused with cannabis but has the appearance of regular food. Children do not understand this difference. Leaving your edibles in easy-to-access places raises the chances that a child in your house may get their hands on the delicious-looking edibles and eat them.
Avoiding this situation involves a simple step of proper storage. Keep your edibles in a jar and store them in a hard-to-reach place like the top shelf or a locked cupboard.
Cannabis is a medication for patients. It does not require a prescription but a doctor’s recommendation and a California MMIC are official documents that prove the benefit of the herb for patients. So, it’s understandable that you have to use it every day or more than once a day to maintain your medical condition. But, if you have children, it’s best to plan your doses to make sure that you do not consume them in front of them.
Children are curious beings. If they see you munching on colorful gummies or smoking a joint, you’ll end up with a lot of questions. And if you prefer edibles, there may also be some requests for a bite. And it’s possible that on one of those days when you’re not around, your children end up trying those edibles.
The best way to deal with it is to dose in your own room and prefer a time when the children are off to school, with friends, or in the care of someone else.
If you are an MMJ patient with a toddler or a child who needs special care, you need to be alert all the time. Now, one of the most important aspects of using medical marijuana is the fact that it impairs alertness. So, how will you care for your child after a dose? By microdosing.
Microdosing is a technique that is proving the point that less product works better. It allows you to divide your total amount of cannabinoids into smaller doses that you can take throughout the day. This way, you are starting with a very small amount and at a slow pace too. Micordosing will keep you from completely losing your alertness and help you care for your child even after a dose.
Tinctures are one of the best cannabis products that deliver potent effects and also allow easy microdosing.
Smoking around people, especially children is not healthy. We are aware that long-term smoking or vaping has several side effects on the consumers but it affects the people around too. Inhaling secondhand smoke can result in contact high and also develop respiratory problems.
So, the best option for parents would be smokeless methods such as topicals, edibles, sublingual, and tinctures. They are equally effective and potent but deliver all the benefits without the problem of smoke.
If smoking is your method of choice, make sure to smoke in a well-ventilated area and not in the presence of your children.
Even if you are careful with the way you store your medical marijuana products, take an extra step of caution by keeping a doctor on speed dial. You cannot keep an eye on your children all the time. To avoid any serious situations, talk to a doctor beforehand and also ask for some guidance in case your child ends up ingesting any cannabis edibles by accident.
While a California MMIC allows you to use medical cannabis legally, it is your responsibility to ensure that you use the herb safely around other people. And with children around, you need to maintain a higher level of caution. Accidental ingestion of cannabis by children is probable but can be avoided. The best part is that you don’t have to do much. Just keep these points in mind whenever you buy and use medical cannabis products.