ESCONDIDO, Calif. — The Escondido Union School District is warning the community about the danger of cannabis edibles after several third grade students became sick after possibly eating a food containing THC.
In a letter to students and parents, district officials confirmed that four students at North Broadway Elementary reported feeling sick at around 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The school district said that the students, “Were evaluated by a school nurse after they reported feeling ill after consuming a food product that may have contained THC, the controlled, active ingredient found in marijuana."
First responders were called to the school and the students were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
In a statement to CBS 8, the Superintendent of the Escondido Union School District Dr. Luis Ibarra said, "We have asked our parents to speak with their child about the dangers of edibles and of accepting such food items from classmates or older friends."
School officials said the accessibility of cannabis edibles are a concern for schools across San Diego County. The products can be easily mistaken for regular candy and food.
"Just to have that in schools for that young an age is very, very scary," said Alex, an Escondido parent.
The Escondido Union School District is reminding the community that it’s not legal to possess, ingest or provide edibles at any school activity or event.
Rady Children's Hospital pediatrician, Dr. Natalie Laub, said the percent of children who have mistakenly consumed marijuana has grown drastically in recent years.
"In the past three years we've seen an 800 percent increase in the number of young children accidentally consuming cannabis products because they're mistaking it for normal food," she said.
She says marijuana can make kids extremely sick, cause heart issues or even stop their breathing. She and other researchers wanted to lessen the likelihood of accidental ingestion. They pushed for Assembly Bill 1207. It would have required stricter rules for cannabis packaging. Laub said she was disappointed Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill Sunday.
"I truly believe this was an important public safety step to prevent these ingestions in children," she said.
The California Department of Health recommends safely storing cannabis and edible cannabis products away from children and pets.
If your child has ingested cannabis, or if you or someone you know is showing signs that suggest they have used too much cannabis, call the California Poison Control hotline at: at 1-800-222-1222 as soon as possible.
The hotline is free, confidential, and available 24/7. In case of emergency, call 9-1-1.
If you think your pet has ingested cannabis, call the Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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