ESCONDIDO — The county’s child services agency is evaluating an incident involving four third-grade students who were hospitalized after ingesting cannabis edibles on campus earlier this month.
On the morning of Oct. 11 at North Broadway Elementary, a school nurse evaluated four students who reported feeling ill after eating gummies containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the controlled ingredient found in cannabis.
Emergency responders were immediately called into the school as a precaution, according to Superintendent Luis Ibarra. The four students were then taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
One of the students, a 9-year-old boy, had to remain in the hospital for several days following the incident.
“Seeing my son that way is what shocked me so much,” the boy’s mother, Claudia Curiel, told NBC 7 in Spanish. “To see his whole body shaking, not being able to open his eyes, is something I would never forget.”
Curiel’s son was experiencing a cannabis overdose, according to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego. Doctors told her that her son had consumed three gummies with “400 milligrams of marijuana each.”
It’s unclear whether the cannabis gummies were store-bought or produced at home. In California, edible cannabis products cannot exceed 10 milligrams of THC per serving and 100 milligrams per package. According to the National Capital Poison Center, cases of children ingesting cannabis edibles have been on the rise and can pose serious and potentially life-threatening side effects.
Common clinical effects that occur in children after eating cannabis-containing edibles include vomiting, dizziness, difficulty walking, a rapid heart rate, drowsiness, confusion and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, hallucinations, an abnormally slow heart rate, and low blood pressure may also occur.
“Parents and caregivers should call poison control regardless of whether symptoms are present because signs and symptoms may not occur immediately after consumption,” the poison center’s website states. “This is because after consumption of cannabis, the signs and symptoms of intoxication occur more slowly and less predictably than after cannabis inhalation.”
Curiel also noted that her son had gotten the gummies from one of the other students who ingested them.
“Although edible cannabis can easily be mistaken for regular candy or food, it is illegal for students to possess, ingest, provide, or be under the influence of edibles at school or at any school-related activity or event,” Ibarra said in a statement provided to The Coast News. “We have asked our parents to speak with their children about the dangers of edibles and of accepting such food items from classmates or older friends. In all cases involving edibles, students will be subject to disciplinary consequences.”
Escondido police also responded to the incident at North Broadway. According to Lt. Suzanne Baeder, information regarding the incident was given to the Child and Family Well-Being Department (formerly CWS) to conduct an investigation.
“They will evaluate for criminality and forward us the case if they feel that it rises to that level,” Baeder said via email.
