Cannabis edibles pose greater risk to Halloween safety than poisoned candy: UVA toxicologist

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) -- With Halloween just around the corner, a University of Virginia Health (UVA) toxicologist is ensuring all the ghosts and goblins stay safe this holiday season, sharing that cannabis edibles actually pose more of a risk than poisoned candy.

The morning of Thursday, Oct. 30, Chris Holstege, director of UVA Health’s Blue Ridge Poison Center, is debunking some common Halloween safety rumors about poisoned candy and ensuring that all the ghosts and goblins stay safe this holiday season.

During the briefing, Holstege addressed one of his primary concerns for Halloween: accidentally mixing candy with decriminalized cannabis.

"It's mainly children getting into things that they shouldn't get into, with adverse consequences," Holstege said during Thursday morning's media briefing.

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Since cannabis was decriminalized, many cannabis edibles are packaged to resemble candy and other treats, according to Holstege. He mentioned that those who purchase these products are often unaware of what they are receiving. He also shared how UVA Health colleagues are investigating the chemicals in these products, revealing that what is advertised may be different from what's actually in the products, particularly in terms of higher concentrations.

Holstege also shared concerns over how homemade edibles, such as cookies or brownies, could lead to calls from the poison center.

"You could see where these could get actually misidentified, and we see that not uncommonly through the poison center, where people have even purchased these products," he said.

In 2023, which is the most recent year with available data, there were 6,888 calls to U.S. poison centers about children who ingested cannabis edibles, compared with 816 calls in 2018, per UVA Health.

Holstege said they are receiving calls related to 150 to 200 cases at the Blue Ridge Poison Center.

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He recalled how a grandmother purchased a product not realizing that it was an edible cannabis product, leading to what he describes as "adverse consequences for the grandchild." According to Holstege, children have had to go on life support due to these effects, with one death in Virginia, secondary to the medical product.

A reporter mentioned how some people may mix cannabis edibles with alcohol at Halloween parties, with Holstege added that there is an additive effect with those two, which impacts cognition, judgment and driving skills. Some people are falling from balconies or stepping in front of cars due to a distorted reality, per Holstege.

"I worry about this going all the way from middle schoolers who we see who are using these substances, all the way through, of course, collegiate age, with this being on a Friday night, and the college students having access," Holstege said.

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While rumors about intentional poisonings of candy, razor blades or pins have circulated, Holstege said these are "exceedingly rare."

"That has not occurred in our region, and it is something that is somewhat of a myth. I always think about the old show Mythbusters, where is it feasible that you could do this?" Holstege said. "Yes, you could poison candy. But does this get done on a regular basis? No."

Holstege also emphasized being smart with visibility while children and families are out trick-or-treating, and toddlers who may get their hands on choking hazards.

Anyone requiring assistance from the Blue Ridge Poison Center is asked to call 1-800-222-1222 -- a completely confidential line, with nurses working around the clock.