Chesterfield Discusses Cannabis Safety Amid Evolving Drug Landscape
TL;DR: Chesterfield County's Prevention Services is educating residents about modern cannabis safety, highlighting how today's products are far more potent and varied than past decades, posing particular risks to children and adolescents.
Quick facts
- Who: Chesterfield County Prevention Services, Eric Faw (Senior Clinician)
- What: Public education campaign on cannabis safety addressing elevated potency and accidental ingestion risks
- When: Ongoing; recent focus via Chesterfield Behind the Mic podcast
- Where: Chesterfield County, Virginia
The story
Chesterfield County's Prevention Services department is intensifying efforts to educate residents about cannabis safety as the public health landscape shifts, particularly regarding the dramatically different potency and forms of cannabis products now widely available. In a recent episode of the county's "Chesterfield Behind the Mic" podcast, Eric Faw, a Senior Clinician with Prevention Services, discussed how modern cannabis bears little resemblance to products available decades ago, emphasizing practical guidance for residents on safer use and storage.
The potency gap is stark. Cannabis consumed in the 1960s and 1970s typically contained 1–3% THC, while modern cannabis flower commonly ranges from 15–25% THC. Even more concerning are edibles and concentrates: retail concentrates jumped from an average of 6.7% THC in 2008 to 55.7% in 2017, with some products reaching 95–99% THC. This shift has created new public health concerns, particularly around accidental ingestion by children and unintended overdoses by users unfamiliar with the higher potency.
Chesterfield County has identified accidental cannabis ingestion by youth as a significant risk. The county notes that an increasing number of youth have visited emergency rooms or been hospitalized after unintentionally consuming cannabis products, many of which are packaged to resemble candy and left in accessible locations. The poison control data is alarming: calls from families of children 5 and under who consumed edibles containing THC rose from 207 in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021—a 1,375% increase. Nearly 23% of these cases resulted in hospital admission. To address this, the county offers free medication disposal pouches and child-resistant locking bags at all Chesterfield Public Library locations.
Prevention Services also emphasizes youth vulnerability. Research shows that people who begin using addictive substances before age 15 are six-and-a-half times more likely to develop a substance use disorder compared to those who delay use until age 21 or older. The department offers parenting education classes and family consultation services to help parents navigate conversations about drug safety with adolescents, recognizing that early intervention and informed caregiving are critical safeguards.
Key players
- Chesterfield County Prevention Services — County agency leading cannabis safety and youth substance abuse prevention efforts
- Eric Faw — Senior Clinician at Chesterfield County Prevention Services, featured cannabis safety educator
Why it matters: For Chesterfield County families, understanding modern cannabis risks directly affects household safety—edibles marketed to resemble candy pose a genuine hazard to young children, and misjudged doses by teenagers or adults unfamiliar with today's potency can trigger medical emergencies. As cannabis legalization normalizes access, accurate public education helps parents and residents make informed decisions and implement practical safeguards, potentially reducing preventable ER visits and hospitalizations while supporting the county's broader substance abuse prevention mission.
Places
Related links
- Prevention Services — Chesterfield County
- Underage Marijuana and Cannabis Use Prevention — Chesterfield County
- Chesterfield Behind the Mic Podcast
- Virginia Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council — Chesterfield County
- Virginia Cannabis Control Authority
Read the original at Chesterfield County (YouTube) →
Sources
- Prevention Services | Chesterfield County, VA
- Underage Marijuana and Cannabis Use Prevention • Chesterfield County, VA
- Chesterfield Behind the Mic Podcast
- Changes in Cannabis Potency over the Last Two Decades (1995-2014) — National Center for Biotechnology Information
- Accidental cannabis ingestion in young children — PMC
- Reports of young children accidentally eating marijuana edibles soar — NBC News
- FDA Warns Consumers About the Accidental Ingestion by Children of Food Products Containing THC
- Virginia Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council • Chesterfield County, VA