In North Carolina, a 6-year-old boy had to spend several hours in the emergency room after accidentally eating THC-infused candy that his family bought without realizing its content.
The incident occured during a family trip in Charlotte's South End area.
They stopped for lunch at the Common Market, which the parents described to the New York Post as an "uncommon convenience store, deli, and bar".
The young boy saw the unfamiliar candy on the counter and convinced his mother to buy it, thinking it was just an unusual type of Skittle.
The parents, not aware that the candy contained THC, bought it as the cashier didn’t mention its special ingredient.
Catherine Buttereit, the boy’s mother, told The Post that her son had seen these Skittles in a YouTube video and had been eager to try them.
During their snack, the boy ended up eating about 40 pieces, while the others had only one or two.
Not long after, the child started feeling severe discomfort, including a burning sensation in his pelvic area, a cold feeling in his chest, headaches, and stomach pain.
"He was in excruciating pain," Catherine recounted to The Post.
Worried about his condition and after he complained that water tasted "disgusting," his mother called 911, suspecting he might have been poisoned.
It was then they found out the candy contained Delta-9 THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis.
Doctors estimated that the boy had consumed about 13 times more than what's considered an adult dose of THC for his 40-pound body.
While Delta-9 THC can be therapeutic, its long-term effects on a child of his age and size were uncertain.
Thankfully, after a 17-hour sleep in the hospital, the boy woke up feeling better.
In North Carolina, marijuana is illegal, but products with up to 0.3% Delta-9 THC are legal and sold in various stores, including convenience stores and online.
These products often have a 21-and-over age suggestion, but there's no strict rule for enforcing this.
The Common Market, where this took place, usually IDs customers like for alcohol sales and keeps the candy in a Plexiglas case behind the counter.
The New York Post reported that the store didn’t respond to comments but confirmed that such products should be secured and staff should educate customers about them.
This incident has sparked concerns about THC products being available in places frequented by families.
Catherine Buttereit wants to alert other parents and caregivers about these new drug products being accessible in family-oriented locations, not just in vape shops.
"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," she said.
While admitting her own oversight as a parent, Buttereit also emphasized the need for businesses to educate their employees and prevent such incidents from happening to other children.
