ATLANTA — Poison control centers nationwide are reporting a sharp increase in calls involving children who have accidentally consumed marijuana edibles and Georgia is no exception.

Dr. Gaylord Lopez, director of the Georgia Poison Center, says his team has already handled more edible-related calls this year than in all of last year, despite it only being August. “When you talk about activity through 2025, we’ve already surpassed all of 2024,” Lopez said.

He warns that edibles often look, smell, and taste like regular candy, making them especially dangerous for young children. “For an unsuspecting kid, especially a young kid, talking about two and three year olds, they’re not going to know the difference between legitimate candy and cannabis-infused candies,” Lopez said.

Ingesting edibles can cause serious health issues, including altered mental status, drowsiness, breathing difficulties, and even seizures. Nationally, poison control calls have surged from about 930 cases in 2009 to more than 22,000 last year.

Lopez urges adults who use edibles to store them securely. “Please, if you’re using these products, keep and store these things up and away from children,” he said.

WSB’s Sabrina Cupit contributed to this story