随着大麻合法化与商业化席卷美国，大麻产品的获取门槛大幅降低。色彩鲜艳如糖果的大麻产品背后，隐藏着公共健康危机，儿童和青少年误食大麻产品中毒案例在不断增加。根据美国毒物控制中心的数据，儿童大麻中毒的报告从2009年的930例飙升至2024年的22000多例，2024年所有大麻中毒事件中超过75%案件涉及未成年人。

CGTN采访了纽约州花园市家庭与儿童协会（FCA）会长兼首席执行官杰弗里·雷诺兹博士。

“我们正在目睹一场‘四氢大麻酚军备竞赛’。”雷诺兹表示。

他指出许多大麻产品被刻意设计成软糖、饼干的模样，用荧光色包装吸引眼球，这直接导致儿童误食送急诊的案例激增。更深远的危害在于大麻产品损害青少年大脑发育。在12至16岁这个关键期接触大麻，会造成儿童学习能力下降、智商永久性损伤，使他们丧失自然应对压力与调整情绪的能力。

雷诺兹博士呼吁美国政府应该尽早介入，开展与大麻产品有关的公共卫生宣传活动，而生产大麻产品的公司、社区和家长也应该共同努力保护儿童免受大麻的伤害。

Cannabisisnowlegalin40of50U.S.statesformedicaluse,withrecreationaluselegalizedin24states.Thishascreatedamarketformarijuanaedibles,makinggummies,chocolatesandbeveragesmorereadilyavailabletoconsumers,includingminors.Reportsofcannabispoisoningamongchildrensoaredfrom930in2009tomorethan22,000in2024–andmorethan75percentofallcannabispoisoningsinvolvedchildrenandteensin2024,accordingtoAmerica'sPoisonCenters.

Whyarecannabisediblepoisoningstrending?Legalizationhasbroughtnormalization,makingTHCproductsavailableinhomeswhereediblesareeasilymistakenforpopularcandies,makingaccidentalingestioncommoninchildrenandadolescents.

"We'reinvolvedinaTHCarmsracenow,"JefferyL.Reynolds,presidentandCEOoftheFamilyandChildren'sAssociation(FCA),basedinGardenCity,NewYork,toldCGTNinaninterview.

Reynoldspointedoutthatmanycannabisproductsaredeliberatelydesignedtolooklikemainstreamsnacks,wrappedineye-catching,oftenfluorescentpackaging.Thishasfueledasharpincreaseincasesofchildreninadvertentlyeatingthemandendingupintheemergencyroom.

However,themorefar-reachingharmliesinthedevelopingbrainsofteenagers.Exposuretocannabisduringthecriticalperiodofages12to16canleadtoadeclineinlearningability,causepermanentIQdamage,andimpairtheirnaturalabilitytocopewithstressandemotions.

ReynoldscalledontheU.S.governmenttourgentlyintervenebyeducatingthepublicabouttherisksassociatedwithcannabisproducts.Healsoemphasizedthatcannabisproductcompanies,communitiesandparentsshouldworktogethertoprotectchildrenfromtheharmofcannabis.