19-03-2025
‘Look at the labels': Advice on cannabis consumption during National Poison Prevention Week
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – This week is National Poison Prevention Week.
New York State leaders are sounding the alarm on safe storage and responsible use of marijuana to help prevent accidental ingestion, especially among children and pets.
As the legal cannabis market continues to grow across New York, state leaders are putting poison prevention at the forefront.
'All of the packaging is designed to make sure it's not attractive for those under 21 – that's something you'll see in our adult use and medical markets. In addition, they also require on the packaging and labeling the universal symbol. So, we can teach our youth – and our grandparents as well,' said Olivia Cahill, a program analyst for the NYS Office of Cannabis Management.
Cahill reminds families to look at the universal symbol found on all legal products, making sure items are stored in a safe place and out of the hands of children and pets.
'Like any other medication, you'll want to keep that stored up and away. It can be in a lock bag or in a container, or making sure it's not necessarily visible for youth or pets. With the symbol, there's three little blocks on any given corner. But, it's a cannabis leaf with an exclamation point. Then, you have the New York symbol and the 21 and over symbol. That indicates, like any nutrition label, we want to teach our youth to look at your nutrition labels,' said Cahill.
In light of National Poison Prevention Week, officials explain one of the other best practices is to acknowledge and help reduce the stigma surrounding marijuana, namely for medical use.
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'We're really trying to reduce the stigma as well. Being open and honest is the best policy. That's why we want to have the conversation of safe storage. But, at the end of the day, it is plant medicine. Being able to have safe access to it, I think, is a great thing for our state. The best way to reduce those accidental consumptions is just talking to people about it,' said Cahill.
More information on resources available to families can be found here.
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