Cannabis poisonings rising among kids
(NYT) — As legalization and commercialization of cannabis have spread across the United States, making marijuana edibles more readily available, the number of cannabis-related incidents reported to poison control centers has sharply increased: from about 930 cases in 2009 to more than 22,000 last year, data from America’s Poison Centers shows. Of those, more than 13,000 caused documented negative effects and were classified by the organization as nonlethal poisonings.
These numbers are almost certainly an undercount, public health officials say, because hospitals are not required to report such cases. More than 75% of the poisonings last year involved children or teenagers.
The New York Times examined data from the national Poison Centers, surveyed regional centers and more than 200 doctors, reviewed court records, and interviewed physicians and public health experts. The Times identified dozens of children across the country who had consumed cannabis products from stashes belonging to relatives or friends and were hospitalized with paranoia, vomiting or other symptoms of poisoning.
In most instances of cannabis exposure, the physical effects were not severe, according to the poison control data. But a growing number of poisonings have led to breathing problems or other life-threatening consequences. In 2009, just 10 such cases were reported to poison centers; last year, there were more than 620 — a vast majority of them children or teens. More than 100 required ventilators.
Four deaths since 2009 have been judged by America’s Poison Centers as likely caused by cannabis poisoning. Data from 2024 has yet to be finalized.
Each year, tens of millions of Americans use cannabis. But in interviews, emergency physicians, pediatricians, toxicologists and other doctors expressed concern about the growing public perception that THC, the intoxicating component in cannabis, is completely safe. As cannabis products proliferate, adults can unwittingly expose children to risk. Most of the reported cannabis exposures last year were deemed unintentional.
At least 38 cannabis-related poisoning cases have led to charges filed against parents and other caregivers, the Times found.
A high enough dose of THC can be so sedating that a person’s tongue blocks his windpipe, or it can trigger a seizure that requires intubation. But it might take hundreds or even thousands of milligrams of THC to cause severe side effects in a 150-pound adult — but far less for a child.
Most states have potency limits for THC edibles, but many physicians said the caps were too high — often 100 milligrams per package.
Intel CEO to visit White House today
(Reuters) — Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan is set to visit the White House today after President Donald Trump called for his removal last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. Intel and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tan is expected to have an extensive conversation with Trump while looking to explain his personal and professional background, the report said, adding that he could propose ways Intel and the U.S. government could work together, the report added.
Tan hopes to win Trump’s approval by showing his commitment to the U.S. and guaranteeing the importance of keeping Intel’s manufacturing capabilities as a national security issue, the report added.
Last week, Trump demanded the immediate resignation of Tan, calling him “highly conflicted” due to his ties to Chinese firms and raising doubts about plans to turn around the struggling American chip icon.
Tan said he shared the president’s commitment to advancing U.S. national and economic security.
Trump’s intervention marked a rare instance of a U.S. president publicly calling for a CEO’s ouster and sparked debate among investors.
Tan, a Malaysian-born Chinese American business executive, was also the CEO of Cadence Design from 2008 through December 2021, during which the chip design software maker sold products to a Chinese military university believed to be involved in simulating nuclear explosions.
Wisconsin undergoes widespread flooding from heavy rainfall
(NYT) — Record-setting rains in Wisconsin led to life-threatening flash flooding in Milwaukee and the surrounding area overnight Saturday to Sunday, prompting widespread flood alerts and the early closure of the Wisconsin State Fair.
The Milwaukee area received 7.96 inches of rain from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning, setting a record for a two-day rainfall total in the Milwaukee area, according to the National Weather Service.
More heavy rain was expected into the evening Sunday, forecasters said, and flood warnings remained in effect across Wisconsin. Officials in Milwaukee County declared a state of emergency.
At the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis, organizers canceled a concert by the band Lynyrd Skynyrd on Saturday night because of severe weather and closed the fairgrounds early.
Videos posted on social media and local news sites showed cars at the fairgrounds partly submerged Saturday night. The fair remained closed Sunday, the final day of its 11-day run, officials said.
The city of Wauwatosa, just north of the fairgrounds in Milwaukee’s western suburbs, was especially hard hit. Parts of downtown were underwater Sunday morning, and a number of residents had to be rescued from flooded basements or vehicles.