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It’s no laughing matter: when children get their curious hands on cannabis, disaster can strike. With cannabis legalized across Canada and more Canadians relying on this incredible plant than ever, the potential for your children coming into contact with cannabis is also at an all-time high. Keeping cannabis away from children might seem as easy as a lock on a cupboard or keeping your edibles in the top-shelf only, but it’s not always that simple. Your kids might get into your cannabis, but as they get older they might be consuming cannabis from multiple sources without your knowledge.
How can you educate your children on the risks of cannabis without demonizing this plant we rely on recreationally & medically? It seems like you’re damned if you peak their curiosity with positive information about cannabis, yet you’re damned if you don’t educate them about cannabinoids like THC and CBD at all.
There’s a fine balance that needs to be struck if you’re going to keep your children safe from the mind-altering effects of cannabis. What happens if a child eats an edible?! What can you do if your child accidentally consumes cannabis?! These controversial topics are important to understand if you’re ever going to foment a positive relationship between your children and cannabis.
How To Keep Cannabis Away From Children
It’s important to store your cannabis products – especially edible candies or treats – safely & securely when you have kids in the house. Edible cannabis in particular can seem very enticing to children for obvious reasons: sweetness, bright colors, tantalizing smells, etc. Most children don’t even understand the contents of what they’re eating, they simply see something they’d like to try and they try it. It’s hard enough to keep our kids healthy and avoid overfeeding them too much sugar, salt and processed foods. Adding cannabis to this potentially dangerous cocktail can lead to disastrous short- and long-term effects.
STORAGE CONTAINERS
For these reasons and more, storage is the #1 effective way to keep cannabis away from children. Sealable, latched or child-proof containers are often provided when you purchase cannabis products at the point of sale. If your cannabis didn’t come in a resealable, proofed container then don’t fret – you won’t have to invest a lot of resources in finding some cheap options. Some of the more popular, cheap, and easy-to-use containers that you can safely store cannabis in are:
● Rubber seal, latched glass jars
● Child-proof pill/capsule bottles
● Latch-lid/Lock-and-key metal containers
● Push-seal plastic containers
● Mason jars with tight metal lids
● Wooden boxes with lock-and-key
● Child-proof glass/plastic tubes
Some things to consider for your storage containers to make them even more effective at keeping your kids away from your cannabis:
● LIMIT VISIBILITY: Don’t use glass or clear containers if at all possible as their contents will be clearly visible to any prying eyes
● CONTAINERS WITHIN CONTAINERS: For extra insurance, placing containers within larger ones that also seal or lock can ensure no child can access your cannabis
● CHILD-LOCK IS ALWAYS BEST: Any container that offers child-resistant lids like child-lock capsule bottles or child-proof liquid bottles are effective at keeping kids away from cannabis
● NO-SMELL CONTAINERS: Literally throwing your kids off the scent is a safe way to keep them safe – no aromas can entice their curiosity if the container doesn’t allow aromas to escape!
SECURE SPACES
Where you store your cannabis is as important as how it’s contained. The simplest and most effective way to keep kids away from your cannabis is to store it in a secure container in a high shelf, drawer or cupboard. Wherever this isn’t possible or feasible, then you might have to invest in additional locks or child-resistant latches.
To make things easy, we’ve compiled the list of “Do’s & Don’ts” for choosing a safe space to store your cannabis:
● DO: Factor in your child’s age, ability to climb or access high-up places for storage – the more hidden and securely your cannabis is stored the better.
● DON’T: Assuming your cannabis is safe because your child “doesn’t know where it is” is not a good plan. Take extra steps to choose a hiding/storage spot for your cannabis that can remain a secret by not accessing it while your child can see you.
● DO: Have your friends or family test the security of your cannabis storage or its container to see if there’s anything you might’ve overlooked
● DON’T: Forgetting to check on your cannabis regularly can lead to complacency – make sure you know how much you have, where it is and how long it has been there.
● DO: Switch it up from time to time – move your cannabis from one secure area to another, if at all possible.
● DON’T: Underestimating your child is never a good idea – he/she can surprise you how they’re able to access “off limits” items or areas, so constantly check/update your storage area as necessary.
CANNABIS EMERGENCY PLAN
The final component of keeping cannabis away from children has to do with planning. Any stoner will tell you that no matter how experienced you are or how confident you are in your tolerance to THC, everybody hits a wall from time to time. The psychoactive properties of cannabis can have untold benefits for your health & wellbeing, but they can also lead you down a mind-addled path of paranoia, anxiety and even bodily harm if you’re not careful. This is doubly true for children if they’re ever unfortunate enough to ingest cannabis unknowingly.
To avoid experiencing powerful hallucinations or being taken on a fearful trip, many cannabis users have an “emergency plan” for when they dose too high or consume too much. This is a great strategy for overcoming those “greenout” moments that can sneak up on you. Many experts advocate the same kind of cannabis emergency plan but for your children.
What does a cannabis emergency plan or kit entail? Typically cannabis emergency plan kits include:
● Emergency contacts like doctors or health practitioners
● Literature or manuals on how to treat someone who is experiencing an intolerable cannabis high
● Medications or remedies prescribed by health professionals that can help to alleviate overwhelming effects of cannabis
● High dose cannabidiol products to help counteract/reduce the effects of THC
Your cannabis emergency plan might have other items like blankets, water or a first aid kit. Anything you can anticipate needing should be readily available and easy to access. The more prepared you are, the less chance you’ll be stuck panicking and instead can focus on alleviating your child’s symptoms of cannabis ingestion.
What Happens If A Toddler Gets High?!
Speaking of symptoms, what happens if a child eats an edible? The typical symptoms associated with underage cannabis consumption include, but are not limited to:
● Fatigue, drowsiness or uninterruptible sleep
● Anxiety, paranoia, fear and sadness
● Lack of motor skills, coordination or speech impediments
● Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
● Difficulty breathing, elevated heart-rate
Keep in mind that cannabis ingestion or absorption can occur from many different kinds of products, in various ways. Cannabis doesn’t always take effect right away – edibles can take hours in some cases to be digested, meaning there’s a major delay from consumption to the first sign of THC psychoactivity. Whenever you suspect your child has gotten into your cannabis, take careful note of the time, the details of how they came into contact with it (i.e. ingestion, topical absorption, etc) and prepare accordingly.
What To Do If Your Child Accidentally Eats An Edible
Now that you know what happens if a child accidentally eats an edible, it’s time to determine what your response should be if this ever occurs. This is surely a nightmare scenario that has run through the minds of most cannabis-using parents. The first and most important thing you need to think about what happens if a toddler gets high by accidentally consuming one of your cannabis products is this: don’t panic.
STOP. THINK? ACT! This is an effective mantra that can help you to focus and do what’s necessary to help your loved ones. Whether it’s an injury or an ingested foreign substance, the Stop-Think-Act golden rule can assist you and your children in the most pressing of times.
Follow the steps in your cannabis emergency plan and be sure to contact health authorities if you’re unsure of what to do. In some mild cases, keeping your child hydrated and safe/secure under your watchful attention means you can ride the cannabis ingestion episode out. In others, when your child is showing more alarming signs of the effects of THC, never hesitate to call 9-1-1 or run to the emergency room.
Keep yourself and your loved ones safe from cannabis by following these logical principles for safety & security so that cannabis continues to have a positive impact in your life. The more practiced and proactive we are with our cannabis safety plans and preparedness with cannabis emergency plans, the better everyone’s experience with this unique plant will be.
