Sales of delta-8 and other hemp products have soared. So have calls to poison control centers [Video]

As with many traditional marijuana products, those derived from hemp are also often packaged in a way that looks similar to candy. Children, including some very young, have accidentally gobbled them up, leading to panicked calls to poison control centers. Close to a third of the calls to poison control involved children under six years old.

In a 2021 case, a toddler was admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit after eating a Watermelon flavored delta-8 gummies that had been left in a bottle on a counter, according to an FDA report.

The FDA has said its authority to oversee the hemp market is limited.

In testimony before the U.S House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Accountability last week, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said that a “new regulatory regime” is needed.

Miller, of the hemp trade group, said the FDA should do more to regulate his industry.

He characterized the status quo as a “continuing …