A 6-year-old boy from North Carolina spent hours in the emergency room after mistakenly consuming THC-laced candy that his family purchased.
The incident occurred during a family outing in Charlotte's South End neighborhood, where they stopped for lunch at the Common Market. Speaking to the New York Post, the parents described the business as an "uncommon convenience store, deli, and bar".
The young boy, intrigued by the unfamiliar candy displayed on the counter, persuaded his mother to buy it. However, the cashier failed to inform the parents - who believed the candies were freeze-dried Skittles - that the product contained THC.
Mom Catherine Buttereit revealed to The Post that her son had seen these types of Skittles in a YouTube video and had wanted to try them for some time.
The family - including several other children - tried the candy, with the boy consuming around 40 pieces while others had one or two.
Soon after, the child began experiencing adverse and painful effects, including a burning pelvic area, freezing chest, headache, and stomach discomfort.
"He was in excruciating pain," mother Catherine told The Post.
Concerned about his well-being, his mother swiftly called 911, suspecting poisoning after the boy complained that the water tasted "disgusting". It was then discovered that the candy was laced with Delta-9 THC, the primary psychoactive component of the cannabis sativa plant.
Doctors estimated that the child had consumed approximately 13 times the adult dosage of THC for his 40-pound weight. Although Delta-9 THC is considered therapeutic, the long-term effects on a child of his age and size were unknown.
After a 17-hour sleep at the hospital, the boy woke up and his pain had fortunately subsided.
Despite marijuana being illegal in North Carolina, Delta-9 THC products with up to 0.3% content can be sold in various stores throughout the state, including convenience stores and online shops. Some packages may include a suggested 21 and over age label, but enforcement of age restrictions is not mandatory.
The Common Market, where the incident occurred, reportedly has a policy of IDing customers similar to alcohol sales and typically keeps the candy in a Plexiglas case behind the counter, out of reach of customers.
The Post reports that although the store in question did not respond to requests for comment, it confirmed that the candy should have been secured and that staff is trained to educate customers about such products.
The incident has raised concerns about the availability of THC-laced products in family-friendly settings. Buttereit hopes to raise awareness among parents and caretakers about these new drug products being accessible in places where children are present. She emphasized the importance of business owners taking proactive measures to ensure these products do not end up in the hands of children.
"I'm really just trying to bring awareness to other parents and caretakers that this extremely new drug product is available now in family-type settings where children are going to be, not only in exclusive vape-type shops anymore," said Buttereit.
She did acknowledge her own negligence as a parent but stressed that businesses must do their part in educating employees and preventing such products from reaching children.
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