Polk County students hospitalized after eating gummies laced with marijuana
Several Mulberry Middle School students were hospitalized Thursday after eating marijuana-laced gummies that a boy brought to gym class and shared with them, Polk County authorities said.
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.
One of the students who ate the candy told a faculty member, deputies said.
Detectives said they found an empty package of Green Hornet fruitpunch 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 Sentinel is not naming the boy because he is a juvenile.