BRAND-HILLSDALE-ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (WILX) – A local health department is urging people to lock up their marijuana. It’s providing people with safe storage locking bags.
The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health agency is also giving parents information on how to protect their children from the drug.
“Lock It Up” is now in its fifth year; the health agency says the campaign started to educate the tri-county area on the safe storage of medical marijuana. The information is just as important for recreational users.
Recreational use of marijuana has been legal for nearly six years in Michigan and is sold in several forms. From 2020 to 2023, the Michigan Poison Center saw a 60% increase in unintentional cannabis use by children ages 4 to 13.
“High school is that age when you expect people to experiment, but when you get a referral for a 10-year-old or an 11-year-old, it’s surprising,” said Melea Belton of Eaton RESA.
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency is asking the community to “lock it up!” offering safe storage locking bags to conceal cannabis in hopes of keeping marijuana out of the hands of children and young teens.
“Obviously marijuana even has more of a prevalent presence in the home now because of dispensaries and stuff like that. It definitely ups the ante for kids and ups the probability of kids to get into those products,” said Joshua Englehart of Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency
Edibles can be attractive to children because of their colors and gummy fruit snack appearance. However, if eaten, they can suffer from marijuana poisoning, lowering their heart rate and blood pressure, leading to tremors, hallucinations, or even a coma.
“Like a candy form or an edible form is really hard for us to detect, and it’s a little bit more for the schools too,” said “Lock It Up” which looks to make parents and young adults experts on marijuana with hopes of keeping kids safe.
“Develop that culture among parents to be intentional about those conversations with them, especially when it comes to marijuana use,” said Englehart.
The agency created a landing page on its website. Young adults and parents can get information on safely storing their marijuana, how it affects young minds, and how to talk with their children about the drug.
People can get a safe storage locking bag by visiting any Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph community health agency office or other partners in those counties.
Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) offices in all three counties:
Branch County
- Pines Behavioral Health
- Branch ISD office on Lincoln Street
- Tree House Provisioning Center and Tree House Provisioning Center MMP Clinic – Coldwater
- Green Tree Relief – Coldwater
Hillsdale County
- Lifeways
- Hillsdale County Sheriff’s office
- Green Tree Relief – Reading
- The Nest Provisioning Center – Camden
St. Joseph County
- Pivotal – all locations
- St. Joseph County sheriff’s office
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