California Student Eats THC Laced Candy During School's Trick or Treat Event

During a Halloween event at Amelia Earhart Elementary School in California, an incident involving THC-laced candy has raised concerns, per the NY Post.

A student ingested a THC-laced candy that was distributed during the event, and three other families discovered similar treats in their children's candy bags.

The unidentified student who consumed the THC-infused candy fell ill and required medical attention.

The candy in question was a Kiva Lost Farm fruit chew, bearing a striking resemblance to a Starburst.

Notably, the candy wrapper clearly indicated that it contained 10mg of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana.

There have been no reports of other children ingesting the THC-laced candy.

Alameda Police are actively investigating the incident to determine the source of the candy distributed during the PTA-sponsored event.

Authorities have issued a warning to the public, emphasizing that drug-infused candies can closely resemble conventional sweets, creating potential risks.

Three More THC-Laced Candy Found in Children's Candy Bag

In a separate statement, Susan Davis of the Alameda Unified School District confirmed that a student received the THC-laced candy during a "trick or treat" event hosted by Earhart Elementary School.

The child reported feeling unwell, and the parent discovered the wrapper in their bag, CBS News reported.

Subsequently, the school's principal notified the district office and leadership team. As a precaution, all families associated with the school were advised to inspect their children's Halloween candy.

This led to three additional families confirming that they had found THC-infused candies in their children's candy bags.

The school clarified that the donated candy had been provided by families at Earhart, and they are collaborating with law enforcement to ascertain the origin of the THC-infused candy. Fortunately, the child who initially ingested the candy has since recovered.

California police underscored that THC-infused candies can closely resemble well-known, mainstream brand candies, emphasizing the need for vigilance during holiday celebrations such as Halloween.

Cases of Kids Accidentally Eating THC-Laced Candy Rise

The incident in California aligns with a broader concern as cases of children accidentally consuming THC-laced products have been on the rise.

Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, and her colleagues analyzed data from the National Poison Data System, according to the Daily Mail.

The analysis revealed a significant increase in cases of preschoolers ingesting edibles, with the number soaring from 207 cases in 2017 to over 3,000 in 2021.

Of the more than 7,000 reports analyzed, nearly 8 percent of affected children required admission to critical care units, primarily due to depressed breathing.

The symptoms commonly observed in these cases included drowsiness, breathing difficulties, fast heart rates, and vomiting, but fortunately, none of the incidents resulted in fatalities.

Notably, more than 90 percent of these incidents occurred at home, and more than half of the affected children were toddlers between the ages of two and three.

This increase in cases coincides with the expansion of medical and recreational marijuana use in various US states.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Child sickened after ingesting THC-infused candy distributed at Bay Area school event - From ABC7 News Bay Area