What’s in that gummy bear could be hazardous to your kid’s health

As summer ends and we transition to a new school year, children’s health and safety are top of mind. As a partner in the Consumers For Safe CBD campaign, NCL is taking part in important public service education, reminding parents and guardians to take extra precautions when shopping for back-to-school snacks and to be wary of CBD products.

CBD-infused foods and candies are often packaged and marketed to appeal to children, but buyer beware – there are a number of harmful ingredients that could be in a seemingly harmless gummy bear. Parents, teachers, guardians, and loved ones should know that none of the non-prescription CBD products on the market today – and the false medical claims often used to market these to consumers – have been tested or approved by the FDA.

Put simply, CBD products are potentially very dangerous, especially when it comes to children.

Recent reports from across the country demonstrate the seriousness of these risks, including:

Poison centers in the U.S. have seen an increase in CBD-related cases, reporting more than 2,000 in 2021 so far – significantly higher than the total amount of CBD-related cases in 2020 and up from only 3 cases in 2014.
A hospital in Tennessee recently warned parents of the “alteration in behavior” and other symptoms following a number of cases where children under the age of 5 were treated for CBD ingestion.
In May, a 3-year-old was rushed to the hospital in Omaha after getting sick from eating his Mother’s CBD gummies.
An emergency center in upstate New York reported an average of 2 to 4 calls annually for a 5 year period about children under the age of 6 ingesting marijuana. Those numbers have increased – up to 55 in 2020, and 43 for the first 5 months of this year.