11 New York middle schoolers sickened after taking THC gummies, a growing problem
The 13- and 14-year-old students were sickened Monday morning at William Floyd Middle School in Moriches, New York, the Suffolk County Police Department said in a statement. Eleven of the students were taken to the hospital and one was released into the custody of a parent, James Montalto, a spokesperson for the school district, said in a statement to USA TODAY.
"While we cannot discuss student discipline publicly due to privacy laws, we take this matter seriously and there will be appropriate consequences," Montalto said. "We will continue to build upon our anti-drug programs and also continue to host grade-level assemblies highlighting the dangers of all drug use including edible marijuana."
It's not clear how the student obtained the edibles or whether they knew the gummies contained marijuana before sharing them. But similar incidents have happened in schools across the country and cases of children ingesting marijuana-laced treats have grown as more states have legalized the medical and recreational use of cannabis.
List: In what states is weed legal?
The number of children under the age of 6 who accidentally ate products laced cannabis rose from 207 cases in 2017 to 3,014 cases in 2021, according to a 2023 study published in the journal Pediatrics. More than half of the children were toddlers, ages 2 and 3, and the vast majority obtained the edibles at home, the study found.
In California, at least two children were given THC-infused candy packaged like Starburst during a Halloween trick-or-treating event at Earhart Elementary School in October 2023. One of the elementary students was sickened and required medical attention, according to police.
Two months later, an Iowa father was charged with multiple felonies after his 4-year-old son ate a chocolate bar containing THC and had to be treated at a hospital. Three students at a Florida middle school were hospitalized that same month after taking edibles laced with an unknown substance.
Study: More kids are being treated for eating marijuana-laced gummies, other edibles at home
Toxicologist and Emergency Medicine physician Dr. David Vearrier at the University of Mississippi Medical Center previously told the USA TODAY Network the side effects of marijuana edibles can be extremely dangerous in young children.
"The most common side effects are mental status depression and sleepiness as well as decreased breathing in some cases," Vearrier said. "Sometimes acute agitation is a factor as well."
Edibles made with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, can come in the form of gummies, chocolates, lollipops, drinks, chips, cookies and other baked goods. Because children often don't realize how potent each piece can be and they are smaller than adults, "a higher milligram/kilogram dose is ingested, which puts children at risk for increased toxicity from these exposures," the researchers behind the 2023 study said.
Dope ropes, THC Doritos: Our patchwork pot laws and kids can pay the price, experts say
A child might also easily mistake many of the products for a regular snack, Marit Tweet, an emergency medicine physician and medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, said in a statement accompanying the study.
The Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent cease and desists letters in 2023 to six companies with marijuana products that resembled Doritos, Cheetos, gummy bears, and other candies with nearly identical packaging to the original brands, as they did in the California case. But, the FTC said all it can do is "strongly encourage sellers to review all of their marketing and product packaging."
Meanwhile some states, including Illinois, require edible packaging to not appeal to children and restrict the total amount of THC allowed per package, Tweet previously told USA TODAY.
Contributing: Emilee Coblentz, Natalie Neysa Alund and Mike Snider, USA TODAY; Joshua Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 11 New York middle school students hospitalized after taking edibles
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
11 minutes ago
- USA Today
White House backs away from IVF mandate despite Trump's campaign pledge, Washington Post
WASHINGTON − The White House has no current plans to mandate insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization, despite President Donald Trump's campaign promise to expand access to fertility treatments, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. Trump signed an executive order earlier this year directing the government to expand access to IVF and reduce the costs of the popular fertility treatment. More: Some workers are job hopping for fertility benefits. Employers are trying to keep up. White House officials say expanding IVF access remains a priority, but legal constraints prevent mandating coverage without Congressional approval, and no bill is currently planned, the Post reported. Officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment by USA TODAY. Contributing: Francesca Chambers
USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
Heartwarming video shows 1-year-old cancer patient bond with therapy dog
Asher's mom, Ambra Frank said Maverick stayed with her son for a few minutes, and the two "shared some really special, giggly moments together." A 1-year-old boy diagnosed with cancer received a delightful surprise when a therapy dog visited him while he was recovering from a liver transplant as part of his treatment. Video footage from the heartwarming moment shows 20-month-old Asher overjoyed when Maverick, a 2-year-old therapy dog, visited him. The two appear to instantly hit it off with the yellow lab fishing for cuddles and the little boy generously giving them to him. Asher's mom, Ambra Frank, told USA TODAY over email on July 31 that her son had been in bed "resting for a few weeks while recovering from his liver transplant" at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and was uncharacteristically sad until Maverick dropped by like a ray of sunshine. "He was feeling very down and hadn't been smiling much, which is so unlike our joyful little boy," Frank shared. "But the moment Maverick walked in, Asher lit up. He pushed himself up to sit, on his own, for the first time since surgery, and had the biggest smile on his face." "Hearing him giggle again brought tears to our eyes," she continued, adding that Asher had no idea Maverick would be coming, so it "was a complete surprise." Could your pet be your doppelganger? Show us your twin-tastic lookalike pics Watch 1-year-old cancer patient bond with therapy dog at Ohio hospital 'Special, giggly moments' Frank said Maverick stayed with Asher for a few minutes, and the two "shared some really special, giggly moments together," with Asher loving Maverick's kisses. "He thought Maverick's wagging tail was especially silly, he kept reaching for it and giggling," according to Frank. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Asher is currently in remission Asher, who is 20 months old, was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer called hepatoblastoma when he was just 1. At the time of diagnosis, his cancer was also metastatic; however, Asher is now recovering slowly and is currently in remission. "He's continuing to heal following his liver transplant and has been showing so much strength and resilience through it all," Frank said. "While we're still navigating the ups and downs of recovery, moments like his visit with Maverick have brought him so much joy." Maverick, meanwhile, is a therapy dog at Nationwide Children's Hospital, according to the hospital's website. The yellow lab, who turned 2 this July, is a graduate of New Albany Therapy Dogs, a national nonprofit that "provides expertly trained service dogs," according to its website. Maverick has been with the Nationwide Children's Butterfly Paws team since May 1, 2025, and comes to work with his handler, working rounds with the medical team every day, the hospital told USA TODAY. Maverick's favorite activities include running with friends, playing with crinkle toys and taking long naps in between helping patients, families and staff. The pup, described as a giver on the hospital's website, loves to gift toys and is known to be always smiling. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Pizza restaurant serves marijuana-tainted food to unwitting customers
Health authorities say at least 85 people, including eight children, suffered accidental marijuana intoxication after eating pizza, sandwiches and garlic bread from a Wisconsin restaurant. Seven of them were rushed to the local hospital with symptoms ranging from dizziness to anxiety. None of them knew they were consuming pot, and investigators, after checking for carbon monoxide exposure, tracked down the source to an unexpected culprit. Authorities with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the problems began when cooks at Famous Yeti's Pizza in a suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, ran out of canola oil last October. Instead of buying more oil, the restaurant workers grabbed cooking oil from a shared commissary area also used by a company that makes marijuana edibles, officials said. "The owner initially thought the oil was plain canola oil but later realized it might have been infused with THC," federal health officials concluded. Marijuana is illegal in Wisconsin, but the edibles company was extracting and concentrating the delta-9 THC compound from hemp, investigators said. Hemp is a low-THC version of marijuana, and thus legal in Wisconsin, even though both marijuana and hemp come from cannabis plants. "Regulations regarding practices such as standard, clear labeling and locked storage for ingredients containing THC might decrease the risk for unintentional THC exposure at licensed food businesses," the CDC concluded. Other recent mix-ups The Famous Yetis incident is among the latest examples of people potentially consuming intoxicating products sold as something else. On July 29, the FDA announced a recall by the California-based High Noon seltzer company after it discovered workers had inadvertently packaged alcoholic seltzer in energy drink cans. Last year, the parents of a two-year-old said workers at a Japanese restaurant accidentally served their toddler cooking wine mislabeled as apple juice. Critics of legal marijuana have long argued that manufacturers deliberately blur the lines with pot-infused products resembling normal cookies or candies, and many states that have legalized marijuana have strict rules intended to prevent such mixups. Emergency-room doctors have reported a significant increase in the number of patients they've treated as marijuana legalization has spread across the country, but acknowledge alcohol still drives far more emergency hospitalizations and injuries. The CDC says more than 2,100 Americans die annually from alcohol poisoning, and about 178,000 people nationally die as a result of excessive alcohol use. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pizza joint: Wisconsin restaurant accidentally served pot-laced food Solve the daily Crossword
