CBD products: The significance of safety for children
The CBD market, which started to be sold in the UK in 2018, has grown quickly. It is predicted to triple in value from £690 million in 2021 to £1 billion by 2025.
Despite the fact that CBD products are now widely accessible for purchase, it’s crucial to keep them out of children’s reach.
Which CBD products are secure?
Customers should familiarise themselves with CBD goods by doing online research to learn more about it and making sure the products they use are both safe and permitted.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component that gives users a high, is absent from cannabidiol (CBD), a molecule present in marijuana.
Legally, products should include less than 1 milligramme of THC. They can be found as food, beverages, drinks, vitamins, skincare products, sprays, and vape pens.
According to UK legislation, producers of foods, drinks, or CBD oils must submit a novel food application to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) by 2020 so that it may be safely evaluated before being sold. The strain and variety of the raw cannabis material, the place of origin, a production process outline, quality control procedures, an extraction technique, and product specifications are among the requirements. Beauty products containing vapes must comply with Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations and Generic Product Protection Laws.
Research indicates that some goods may be mislabeled and contain more THC than is permitted, even though many products are tested for the compound.
Another item that can perplex customers is the availability of goods like drinks, oils, and edibles that have both THC and CBD content.
As an easy way to swallow CBD, CBD gummies, for instance, are legally available to buy in the UK and are either free of THC or contain less than 0.3 percent. However, recent pronouncements from local authorities have alerted parents to the possibility that gangs may be offering edible cannabis to young people.
Numerous studies have been carried out that highlight the detrimental effects of regular cannabis use, including worse judgement, trouble learning or focusing, an increased risk of anxiety, and depression, particularly among young people.
Reasons why children shouldn’t be exposed to CBD
An estimated 500 toddlers under the age of five are taken to the hospital each year after consuming something harmful.
Users should exercise caution to make sure kids don’t come into contact with CBD products even after they have received regulatory approval.
This is because, despite the fact that CBD is not intrinsically dangerous to kids or adults, doctors urge parents not to expose their kids to it due to the paucity of evidence supporting its potential advantages.
A study found mild traces of cannabinoid poisoning in children three weeks after ingesting hemp seed oil, which is weaker than CBD but can still cause symptoms like agitation, lack of basic coordination, and even seizures. While accidental ingestion of hemp seed oil is not fatal, even a small amount could result in cannabinoid poisoning.
Furthermore, consuming CBD products in addition to other supplements may be hazardous. Similar to supplements, CBD is metabolised in the liver. This means that it has the potential to influence a child’s health by either increasing or decreasing the rate at which other drugs are absorbed.
What organisations can undertake
Businesses should invest in child-resistant packaging, which is different from standard packaging solutions by its focused specification and is intended to keep young children from accessing and consuming contained substances, to ensure that children cannot easily reach CBD products.
Since its introduction into the UK in the late 1970s, this kind of packaging has spread throughout the world as a standard because it effectively lowers the number of unintentional poisonings.
According to current British rules, packaging that is considered child-resistant should be difficult for eighty percent of children under five to open, but should still be simple enough for much older children and adults to access.
The Child Resistant Packaging Safety Regulations, enacted by the UK government in 1986, mandate that all packaging solutions meet certain standards and undergo inspections established by the British Standards Institute prior to a product being sold.
But unlike medicinal cannabis, CBD is primarily offered as a dietary supplement and is available for purchase over-the-counter. As such, it is regarded as a novel food, and packaging rules like ISO 8317, ISO 13127, and ASTM D3475-20 do not apply.
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It’s crucial that the packaging deters young customers even if child-resistant packaging—such as dual-action design mechanisms—isn’t necessary for CBD products. The colour of packaging has gained a lot of attention due to research showing how children’s perceptions of colour and images affect their attraction to vividly coloured packaging. Standardised packaging has replaced other practices to stop this from happening and lessen the appeal of goods that could adolescents.
The product package should also provide pertinent details regarding what the product is, how to use it, and safety advice on what to do in the event that it is inadvertently swallowed.
What Clients can accomplish
Make sure kids can’t open it.
To ensure that there is no possibility of their children consuming potentially dangerous substances, consumers should choose products with child-resistant packaging.
CBD suppliers must make sure their packaging complies with regulations and includes the following information before selling: the product name, product identification, dose, health warnings, purity of the CBD, any ingredients, a best-before date, anti-tamper seals, and storage conditions.
Although purchasing CBD products that are difficult for kids to open is advised, child resistance is not required by law for items that are sold to consumers.
Current standards, according to BSI, stipulate that 80 percent of children under five should not be able to open child-resistant packaging. There are several different types of child-proof CBD packaging available, including jars, bottles, and clamshell containers. These containers have extra-safe features like click-lock closures, but they are frequently too complicated for young users are necessary to turn the lid by pushing or squeezing it.
A product’s appearance is another factor to take into account when selecting it, since something that looks like it is intended for a younger audience, like a toy or package of candy, may catch the interest of inquisitive young brains.
Keep them out of the way.
Keeping potentially harmful items or medications out of children’s reach and in their original packaging is essential.
All of the product’s information, including strength, dosage, and health warnings, will be contained on the original package. This information could be very important if users experience any side effects and need to consult a doctor.
To be extra safe, though, customers can purchase a zip-lock bag to store the CBD product in when not in use. Because of their single-entry construction, Ziplock bags need advanced dexterity to open and use.
Additionally, the child-lock cap on the CBD products should be replaced when not in use and kept in a cabinet or drawer above counter height where kids cannot reach it or watch