The mother of an elementary school student who brought gummy bears believed to be laced with marijuana and offered them to fellow students at an Ohio elementary school has been arrested, according to a police report.
Shari Gould, 27, was arrested for endangering children but has not been formally charged, reported
WOIO.
Authorities said at least 14 students from Anton Grdina School—age between 5 and 9—were reportedly given the drug-laced candy during lunchtime on Feb. 4, the Cleveland Division of Police said. Nine students were taken to the Rainbow Babies And Children’s Hospital after eating the gummy bears and complained about feeling sick, reported the
Tribune Media Wire.
Parents of five of the students declined to send their children to the hospital.
According to a police report, a 9-year-old boy brought the gummies from home. He told police that he and a 6-year-old took the gummy bears off a table from home and placed the candy in their backpacks the night before, reported
Fox 8, citing the police report. The mother was not aware that the gummies were missing.
The students were all treated and released. One of the students tested positive for THC—the primary chemical in marijuana that causes impairment.
A Cleveland Metropolitan School District spokesperson said three students were sharing the gummy bears with other students during lunch before school aides noticed that the packaging of the candy was odd, according to the wire.
“Although we have not yet received a report on the suspicious candy, the principal used the opportunity to remind parents and caregivers of the importance of keeping medicines and other items that may be harmful to children locked up to ensure the safety of all students,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Similar Cases
In a similar case, a
fifth grader in New Mexico accidentally mistook her parent’s medicinal marijuana gummy bears for candy and handed them out to fellow students last year. Emergency crews responded to the school and monitored the students before they were sent home.
The school’s dean of elementary students, Kristy Del Curto, said the student, who was 9 years old, did not know she was handing out drugs.
“As marijuana becomes legal in each state it’s going to become more and more of an issue I believe,” Del Curto told
KRQE at the time.
The school subsequently posted a warning to parents about the incident and reminded them “to be alert with drugs and any edibles that may or could be in different formats.”
In another incident late last year, five students in Florida were hospitalized after suddenly became sick from eating marijuana-laced gummies given to them by a fellow student, reported
ABC News. The students reported experienced stomach pains, nausea, dizziness, or a combination of all symptoms.
The 12-year-old boy was subsequently charged with seven felonies and a misdemeanor charge, reported the news station.
Edibles Becoming More Common
Food products containing cannabis extract are becoming more popular for both recreational and medical marijuana use and are becoming a regulatory challenge for policymakers, according to a 2016
report.
Edibles come in different forms such as in baked goods, candies, gummies, chocolates, lozenges, and beverages. They can also be homemade or prepared commercially for dispensaries.
A 2013
study that researched into the unintentional exposure of marijuana to children in the United States found the number of calls about unintentional pediatric exposure to marijuana to the national Poison Control Center increased by 30.3 percent per year in decriminalized states between 2005 to 2011.
Meanwhile, in October last year, there were calls in
Washington State to re-evaluate all approved marijuana-infused candy products in order to prohibit products that could be appealing to children. They would be re-evaluated based on appearance, color, and similarity to commercially available products that are marketed to children. Both recreational and medical marijuana is legal in the state.
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