By The newspaper
04 Oct 2023, 19:13 PM EDT
More than 60 primary school children, ages 7 to 12, have been hospitalized after consuming cannabis-infused candy in Jamaica; The incident has raised concerns about the safety and potency of the product.
Fayval Williams, Jamaica’s Minister of Education, reported that the affected children were from St Ann’s Bay, located approximately 50 miles from the capital city of Kingston, according to the Evening Standard.
While the children suffered symptoms such as vomiting and hallucinations, the good news is that none of them are currently in critical condition. Williams took to social media, specifically X, formerly Twitter, to share the alarming news and warned parents.
He stressed the seriousness of the situation and emphasized the potency of these cannabis-infused products, with one child claiming to have consumed only one piece of candy.
Just returning from St. Ann’s Bay hospital. The doctors & nurses are doing everything they can to ensure the students recover. Several were on intravenous (IV) drip. Mommies and daddies are present. One little boy said he only had ONE sweetie. That’s how powerful this product is. DANGER! pic.twitter.com/rBInWvgICp
— Fayval Williams (@williams_fayval) October 3, 2023
The candies, which reportedly contain a high dose of the psychoactive substance Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are not approved by the FDA and were produced by a company based in California, where cannabis is legal.
Jamaica’s Minister of Health, Christopher Tufton, clarified that the government does not allow the importation of foodstuffs containing drugs. The incident has sparked an investigation and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, head of the St. Ann Police Department, has asked the public to come forward with any information they may have about the incident. Law enforcement is actively investigating the case to determine the origin of these dangerous candies.
It is not the only country that has suffered an incident like this; Just a few weeks ago, nearly ninety children in South Africa were hospitalized after consuming “cannabis muffins.”
Keep reading:
· Ninety South African children are hospitalized after consuming ‘cannabis muffins’