News outlets report a Chicago-area woman is suspected of giving candy laced with THC to children at a park.
THC is the main psychoactive substance in marijuana, and health experts warn the drug poses serious risks. State laws permitting recreational marijuana — as well as loopholes in some laws governing industrial hemp — have led to an alarming rise in candies and drinks laced with THC.
Officers responded to reports that four children had become ill at the park after eating candy handed out by an unknown woman. All of them were taken to a hospital, where one tested positive for THC, a psychoactive compound found in cannabis, Wheeling police said.
Police searched the park and found a THC milk chocolate product.
Nationwide, marijuana products like these — including gummies, candies, and other edibles containing THC — are sending kids to the emergency room.
Edibles laced with THC often mimic popular candies that appeal to children, but their high concentrations of THC make these products dangerous.
From heart disease and cancer to stroke, mental illness, and birth defects, marijuana has repeatedly been found to pose serious health hazards.
This year, multiple bills legalizing THC-infused drinks were filed at the Arkansas Legislature.
H.B. 1578 specifically would have legalized drinks containing THC in Arkansas. H.B. 1722 would have legalized e-cigarettes, food, drinks, and other products containing THC. A similar bill — S.B. 455 — would have legalized THC products as well.
Fortunately, none of these bills passed this year, and lawmakers actually enacted a measure to prohibit THC.
All of this simply underscores what we have said for years: Marijuana may be many things, but “harmless” simply is not one of them.
Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.
