What to do if a child or pet eats an edible

What should you do right away if a child ate an edible?

Call the poison centre, which is free and open around the clock across Canada, and tell them plainly that you think the child ate cannabis. Saying so straight away helps them help you, and nobody is calling to get you in trouble.

Have the package or the recipe nearby so you can say roughly how much was eaten and how strong it was. Homemade edibles can be far stronger than store ones, which are capped at 10 mg per package, so a single cookie can be several adult doses for a small child.

Health Canada lists the signs to watch for: vomiting, confusion, drowsiness, unsteadiness, slurred speech, slowed breathing, being hard to wake, and rarely seizures. Call 911 for anything severe.

What should you do if a dog or cat ate an edible?

Call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency vet and head in. Do not try to make the animal vomit at home, because cannabis can affect their ability to swallow safely.

Tell the vet exactly what was eaten. Many edibles also contain chocolate or the sweetener xylitol, which are poisonous to dogs in their own right and make the situation more urgent. Watch for wobbliness, dribbling urine, dilated pupils, sensitivity to sound and touch, or sleepiness.

How do you make sure it never happens?

Homemade edibles look exactly like ordinary food, which is the whole problem. Store them in a locked or child-resistant container, separate from regular snacks, and out of reach of children and pets.

Label every container with what it is, the date and the dose, and the words contains cannabis. Never leave edibles out on a counter, a coffee table or in a bag on the floor.