Eight students were found to have eaten gummy bears laced with marijuana in Charles County Maryland om Monday.
Students reportedly began showing symptoms around 1 p.m. before authorities arrived at the school. None of the children had life-threatening injuries and were all picked up from school.
The incident happened during lunch when fifth graders shared the snack, but it’s unknown if they knew what they were eating, according to WUSA 9 News.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers reports that children under 12 ingesting edibles with THC jumped from 132 in 2016 to 2,500 in 2020.
Experts believe part of the reason could be the legalization of marijuana by many states, resulting in candy looking packaging that makes children think they’re eating candy.
Usually the children are fine, and need to be monitored but there have been cases of seizures.
Related: Marijuana is legal: Can job applicants be denied if they smell like weed? What about using marijuana on ‘break’?
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