33 Persons, Including Children, Hospitalized After Eating Edible Cannabis
Tonight, thirty-three patients are receiving medical attention at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after suffering marijuana intoxication. Twenty-seven of them are children who are attending primary school, between the ages of four and fifteen. Earlier today, students were being hospitalized with symptoms, including vomiting and nausea. It is believed that they ate sweets that were laced with marijuana. Those treats have since been collected for forensic testing. It was a frightening experience for students, teachers and parents and we begin our newscast this evening with a story of what took place at Saint Luke’s Methodist. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
It has been an afternoon of chaos and concern at St. Luke’s Methodist School, where dozens of students fell sick and had to be hospitalized after consuming candy believed to be infused with cannabis. Olga Gordon was at home in St. Martin’s area when she received a phone call from her daughter.
Olga Gordon
Olga Gordon, Concerned Grandparent
“Ih seh, “Mommy, dehn rush Jordan da hospital. Ih eat wahn candy weh got some drugs or something een deh, dehn di flush ahn.” Ih seh, “Soh please call Auntie Linda because her grandchildren dehn deh ya. Call this one, call da one. I seh, “Weh happen?” Ih seh, “Mommy, I noh know.”
Gordon’s grandson was among several children who purchased and shared the edibles. They did not know that the sweets they enjoyed during recess and lunch contained THC, the chemical substance that makes an individual feel high. Chief Executive Officer Chandra Cansino, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
Chandra Cansino
Chandra Cansino, C.E.O., Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital
“Approximately 1:30, we received an influx of a few children that were exhibiting symptoms of nausea and vomiting, lethargy, et cetera. And so, we were alerted and we just, I think about, fifteen minutes more, a few more came in and so we had to see what was going on.”
Isani Cayetano
“Do you have a number, in respect of the schoolchildren who have been admitted to ward?”
Chandra Cansino
“I think, so far, we have approximately twenty-seven children and, I think, three adults.”
That number has since increased to twenty-nine kids and four adults. The youngest among them is a four-year-old boy. His mother took to social media earlier today with images of the child undergoing treatment. Outside of the hospital, a concerned father waited to hear about his daughter’s medical condition. She too had ingested the candy.
Gilford Perez
“Her friend bought some, like a package with candy looking like rice crispy’s treat, wormies and probably fudge or something. But they weren’t aware that da edibles or whatsoever dehn call dehn, cause I think adults tek dehn and soh but I noh that fair that dehn di sell that to no kids, yoh check. I mean ih got symptoms ah vomiting, nauseated, you know weh a mean and some ah dehn pickni look bad een deh mein. That wrong weh dehn do to kids, yoh check.”
The confections are ordinary. It’s a small package with no labels to indicate its contents. At first glance, one wouldn’t assume that these sweets are made with cannabis. The effect of eating them has resulted in mass hospitalizations.
Chandra Cansino
“We have protocols in place for the treatment of those symptoms with the suspicion that they ingested something.”
Reporter
“C.E.O., can you talk to us about dealing with a situation like this where you have a large number of incoming patients.”
Chandra Cansino
“We have already instilled the mass casualty code to ensure that we can bring out staff to ensure that the patients are all well taken care of and everything at this time is under control.”
Back at the primary school, around two o’clock this afternoon, parents were picking up their children. One student was being escorted back onto the compound after exhibiting symptoms consistent with having ingested the candy.
Olga Gordon
“When I came out here, other parents’ children were in hospital and they are saying to me that more children still di drop down. Some children from St. Martin’s School came to buy, they purchased the stuff and they are having the same problem right now. So as a concerned grandmother, a parent, I rushed out here to give support to other parents out here whose children are there.”
C.E.O. Cansino was unable to say how long the patients would be admitted to ward for treatment, as each case was being treated individually.
Chandra Cansino
“It’s hard to say. Their symptoms are being monitored. Some have more symptoms than others. So that would depend on what the doctor decides.”
Isani Cayetano
“Can you give us an idea, perhaps, of the youngest age that you are dealing with here?”
Chandra Cansino
“They range from ages four to adult.”
The police department is investigating the incident, as well as the Ministry of Human Development. The Ministry of Education is yet to release a statement on what transpired today. Isani Cayetano for News Five.
