{"id":3889,"date":"2022-01-18T21:28:40","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T21:28:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CAIiEK8rIqbhufkDzy4voqivon8qGQgEKhAIACoHCAownuf9CjC99vUCMM-72gU"},"modified":"2022-01-18T21:28:40","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T21:28:40","slug":"new-haven-students-sickened-by-thc-candy-released-from-hospital-as-cops-investigate-mayor-says-new-haven-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=3889","title":{"rendered":"New Haven students sickened by THC candy released from hospital as cops investigate, mayor says – New Haven Register"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEW HAVEN \u2014 Five middle school students hospitalized Friday after eating a a candy bar containing THC at school have been released from the hospital, Mayor Justin Elicker said.<\/p>\n

Justin Harmon, spokesman for the school district, said New Haven police and the state Department of Children and Families are investigating. He said the district does not currently intend to make any changes to its policies or staff training, but that \u201ccould certainly change as we learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Bishop Woods Architecture & Design Magnet school seventh-graders, between 12 and 13 years old, ate the candy bar at school and began to display lethargy and some vomited, officials said at the time. Packaging for the candy indicated it was purchased with THC as an ingredient; Elicker said one of the students brought the candy bar to school and shared it with the others.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLast Friday\u2019s incident was very concerning,\u201d Elicker said in a statement Tuesday. \u201cOur children\u2019s safety and health are our highest priority. The police are investigating the incident to determine how the student who brought in and distributed the THC obtained it and to determine what legal action or discipline will be necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Elicker said that, as cannabis becomes more accessible in the state after it was legalized for adult possession on July 1, 2021, \u201cfamilies and our school system will need to have more conversations about safety and be more vigilant.\u201d<\/p>\n

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William Carbone, executive director of justice programs and the Tow Youth Justice Institute at the University of New Haven, said he believes more vigilance from adults will be required in the future now that the drug has been legalized for adult possession.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe used to have a rule with my own kids when they go out trick-or-treating: if something came back in the bag that was not wrapped or looked like it was tampered with, you throw it right out,\u201d he said. \u201cThe same kind of approach needs to be taken by kids in school if they are offered something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some advocates of marijuana legalization and regulation agree.<\/p>\n

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\u201cChildren\u2019s exposure to cannabis products \u2014 particularly edibles \u2014 a lot of that, we believe, stems from a lack of education in terms of educating parents on how to best protect their kids from marijuana products they may have around the house,\u201d said DeVaughn Ward, senior legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project.<\/p>\n

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