New York State Senator Luis Sepúlveda Proposes Child Resistant Packaging for Edible Cannabis Products

As the New York State Senator representing the 32nd District, I am proud to sponsor Bill Number S5981, an act to amend the cannabis law. The purpose of this bill is to require all edible cannabis products to be packaged in child resistant packaging. This amendment is essential to preventing children from consuming edible cannabis products.

Section 1 of the bill amends Section 125 of the cannabis law to add a new subdivision 13, which prohibits all registered organizations, licensees, or permittees, or other entities under the jurisdiction of the cannabis board, from selling or delivering any edible cannabis products not in child resistant packaging.

The existing law currently does not require child-resistant packaging for edible cannabis products. However, this bill is justified by the increasing number of children accidentally consuming edible cannabis products, which can have serious health consequences. According to NBC news, calls to poison control centers for children under the age of five consuming edibles containing THC have risen from 207 kids in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021.

This issue is also listed as one of the American Academy of Pediatrics' top legislative priorities in 2023 to keep children safe and healthy. Therefore, it is imperative that we take action to prevent this from happening and protect our children. By requiring child resistant packaging for all edible cannabis products, we can prevent accidents and promote responsible consumption of cannabis.