Cannabis calls to Virginia's poison centers reveal drop for THC, Delta-8 reported exposures in 2023
Virginia saw both declines and localized increases related to cannabis exposure calls to the state's poison centers. 13News Now does a deep dive into the numbers.
Virginia's poison centers saw a drop in reported exposures to THC and Delta-8, while edible exposures rose in some communities in 2023, according to data on cannabis calls obtained by 13News Now.
The data comes after lawmakers passed sweeping reforms to Virginia's hemp laws in 2023, seeking to reduce the number of unregulated products in Virginia, including a reported increase in pediatric exposures in recent years. It also comes as state lawmakers and leaders grapple with creating a regulated cannabis marketplace to offer better oversight over the industry, after the legalization of marijuana possession in Virginia in 2021.
Possession of up to an ounce is legal as well as the home cultivation of cannabis sativa plants, within certain restrictions such as plant limits and location inside a property. Legally obtained medical marijuana remains the only legal avenue for purchasing legally defined marijuana in the state.
Without a formal regulated market, advocates as well as lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly have pointed to a need to pass policies that more tightly enforce unregulated cannabis-derived products that are accessible to the public.
13News Now searched for answers to find out how this crossroads in Virginia may be impacting whether Virginians are experiencing adverse effects from cannabis use in the state.
Virginia has three poison center districts that monitor cannabis exposure
Poison centers in Virginia have long been resources for the general public to rely on if they or someone in their household is exposed to a potentially toxic chemical or product they are not supposed to be exposed to.
Dr. Ruddy Rose, director of the Virginia Poison Center, calls the influx of THC-related and synthetic products like Delta-8 a "relatively new phenomenon."
“What stands out is this went from almost nothing to something significant," Rose told 13News Now.
In Virginia, there are three Poison Center Districts covering the Commonwealth: the VPC which covers eastern Virginia (Hampton Roads, Richmond), the Blue Ridge District which covers the western side of the state (Charlottesville to Southwest Virginia), and the National Capitol Poison Center (localities in Northern Virginia).
What the data says about cannabis exposure in Virginia
13News Now requested call data across all three poison center districts to see whether recent policy decisions had an impact on the data.
Officials advise that the public consider several things when looking at the data, including the fact that the reported numbers may be underrepresented because potential callers may be fearful of calling them or still unaware they act as a resource.
Officials with the NCPC also note that numbers can be misleading because call volumes fluctuate for poison centers every year.
Total THC exposures in Virginia
After seeing a steady rise since 2020 in total THC calls, Virginia recorded more than 150 fewer reported exposure calls between 2022 and 2023. All three poison center districts saw a drop from the previous year, with the NCPC seeing the largest drop in exposure calls.
Still, the total exposure numbers totaled more than one thousand, which Dr. Rose still characterized as only a "slight" decrease.
“2023 saw a slight decrease and I think that’s largely because of the awareness, the alarming numbers from 2021 to 2022 were a red flag that we have a problem," Rose said.
Delta-8 exposures
One of the biggest changes to Virginia's recently passed hemp laws was the prohibition of "synthetic" derived THC products.
For years, products that were advertised under individual cannabinoids such as Delta-8, were legally allowed to be sold in Virginia because they are not technically defined as marijuana.
In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory about Delta-8 THC, which is similarly found in the cannabis sativa plant.
Hemp advocates and supporters argued that Delta 8 products, when made by reputable producers, yield medical benefits and offer a safe alternative to marijuana.
Between 2020 and 2022, Delta-8 exposures jumped from as few as two reported exposures to 181 but saw a more than 50% drop in 2023 with only 81 reported exposures.
Edible cannabis exposures
Of the three informational categories requested by 13News Now, edible exposure is the one category in which certain districts saw a rise instead of a decline.
Overall, the state saw 96 fewer total edible reported exposures in 2023 compared to 2022. However, that drop is mainly attributed to a drop in the district covered by the NCPC. Both the VPC and the BRD saw increases.
Pediatric THC exposures Data shows ages between 0 and 5
In their responses to 13News Now, the poison center districts included age ranges for their reported calls, too.
In this data set, the term "pediatric" refers to the ages between 0 to 5. Two districts responded with an even more detailed age demographic breakdown for their calls, which can be seen below.
Overall, pediatric THC calls dropped among all districts, but Virginia still registered more than 500 for the state.
Pediatric edible exposures Data shows ages between 0 and 5
Similar to total edible data across the state, the NCPC recorded a drastic drop in pediatric edible exposures for 2023.
This dataset again classifies "pediatric" as the ages between 0 and 5 years old.
Because of the increases in the Virginia Poison Center and the Blue Ridge District, the state recorded nine more pediatric edible exposures in 2023 compared to 2022.
The VPC and BRD saw increases of 14 and 35 cases, respectively.
Virginia Poison Center Includes areas such as Richmond and Hampton Roads
Blue Ridge Poison Center Includes areas west of Richmond like Shenandoah Valley and Southwestern VA
National Capital Poison Center Includes Northern Virginia localities like Loudoun and Fairfax County
Overall, after seeing exposure numbers rise over the last four years, Virginia saw a drop in several reported exposure categories from 2022 to 2023, except for pediatric edible calls.