A child snitched his parents’ stash of Cannabis sweeties and gave then out to the class at school, causing chaos and mass hospitalisation.
Florida cops are currently “talking to the parents” we learned in an exclusive interview with a Polk County police official who asked to remain unnamed.
Five children who ate the gummies were taken to the hospital after complaining of stomach pain, nausea and dizziness, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Another student was picked up by her mother.
Detectives said they found an empty package of Green Hornet fruit-punch gummies in the trash. According to the manufacturer, the package contains 10 gummies, each with 10 milligrams of THC.
The package says the gummies are “for medical use only” and warns to “keep out of the reach of children and animals.”
The Sheriff’s Office said the product is illegal in Florida.
“We have long been concerned about the dangers of marijuana-infused candy, and that it would get into the hands of, and poison, children,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Here’s an example of that.”
A 12-year-old seventh-grader faces charges of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of marijuana resin and possession of paraphernalia, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The Orlando Sentinel is not naming the boy because he is a juvenile.
Ten states and D.C. have legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults — but not in Florida, and never for children.
“We’re fortunate in that the children are all going to make a great recovery; they’re going to be all right,” Judd told reporters during a news conference. “There’s no long-term injury or illness here as we understand, but obviously we’re concerned.
“We’re concerned as to one, how did a 12-year-old ever come to be in possession of this drug? . . . And two, why did he offer it to these six kids?”
Judd, the sheriff, said that the edibles that sickened the Mulberry Middle School students are sold online and come in a gummy brick that is supposed to be torn into 10 adult doses in states where the product is legal. Almost the entire package was divided among the six children, he said.
Authorities said at least five of the children consumed the gummies, and it is believed that the sixth child did as well.
It’s unclear whether the child who handed them out understood that the gummies contained THC, but authorities pointed out that ignorance is not a defense against a crime.
The boy will be charged with one count of possession of marijuana resin and six counts of distribution of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school — all felonies — as well as one misdemeanor count possession of paraphernalia, authorities said. When asked whether the other six children could also face charges, Judd said no, stating that “the other kids have eaten the evidence, so to speak.”
The sheriff said that the other children will be dealt with by their parents and the school system.
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