In Colorado, the legalization of marijuana and its de facto decriminalization on the federal level have led to the emergence of pediatric (nine years of age or younger) cases of unintentional ingestion of marijuana products. From 2005 to October 2009 (prior to the Ogden Memo), there were no marijuana-related emergency room (ER) visits for unintentional ingestions in Colorado. From October 2009 through 2011 (following the Ogden Memo), there were 14 pediatric unintentional ingestion ER visits that involved marijuana products, accounting for 2.4% of all ingestion visits in the state (57). An analysis of national data from 2005–2011 found a 30% annual rate of increase of such cases in states where medical marijuana was legal prior to 2005, whereas rates in nonlegal states do not seem to be changing (60).
