September, Friday 20, 2024

Children in Jamaica hospitalized after consuming cannabis-infused candies.


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Over 60 children in Jamaica have been hospitalized after consuming cannabis-infused sweets, according to the country's education minister, Fayval Williams. The affected primary school students are from the St Ann's Bay area, located approximately 80km (50 miles) from the capital city, Kingston. Symptoms experienced by the children include vomiting and hallucinations, although none are reported to be in a serious condition. Williams highlighted the efforts of medical professionals in treating the students and mentioned that some required intravenous (IV) drips. She also emphasized the potency of the product, as one child claimed to have consumed only one sweet. Williams initially stated the affected students were from St Ann's Bay Primary School, but local news outlets have reported cases at the nearby Ocho Rios Primary School as well. The principal of Ocho Rios Primary School referred to the seller of the sweets as a "lone vendor." Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, who heads the St Ann police department, has urged anyone with information about the vendor to come forward. Williams shared images of the product packaging, which indicated that the sweets were not intended for sale to minors. Each sweet is said to contain 100mg of the psychoactive substance Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is considered a high dose for adults. Delta-8, known for its "intoxicating effects" according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is not approved by the FDA. The cannabis-infused sweets were manufactured by a California-based company, where cannabis is legal. Although Jamaica decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use in 2015, Health Minister Christopher Tufton stated that the government does not permit the import of edibles containing drugs. This incident in Jamaica follows a similar case in South Africa, where approximately 90 children became ill after consuming muffins laced with drugs purchased from a street vendor.