Waltham Student Hospitalized After Eating Marijuana Candy

WALTHAM, MA — An elementary school student was recently hospitalized after eating a piece of marijuana-infused candy, according to a letter sent to parents Wednesday. It was not immediately clear how the student was doing or how old the student is.

Principal Mary Ellen Tenaglia of Northeast Elementary School said in the note that the event happened last week. The district and the school are working with police and the Department of Children and Families to investigate.

Tenaglia said there's a "no candy" policy at school, and teachers and staff issued reminders after last week's incident. She also asked parents to speak to their kids about not sharing food.

As more states vote to decriminalize or legalize marijuana for recreational use, there has been an increase in pediatric patients — from toddlers to teenagers — showing up in emergency rooms in those states from intentionally or unintentionally ingesting marijuana products. Researchers are just beginning to look into what this may mean in the long run.

In Waltham, Joshua Bennett-Johnson works in the addiction treatment field and has a daughter at the school. He said he trusts the school with his child and it seemed the staff handled the situation well.

"This is an unsettling event, but I worry about a tendency for people to overreact," Bennett-Johnson told Patch. "I hope this can be an opportunity for productive, solution-focused dialogue within our community. I feel sorry for the kiddo — I’m sure they were terrified, if not necessarily in any real danger, thank goodness."

Even though edibles are safer than smoking marijuana, children shouldn't ingest cannabis products unless advised by a medical doctor for specific illnesses, he added. He pointed out that edible cannabis is often made into candy products which can be mistaken for a regular sweet. That said, he added, companies go to lengths to contain them in child-proof packaging that is properly labeled with warnings.

Bennett-Johnson recommended people using these products for adult or medical use should store them in a safe place that "curious little hands" cannot access — since to a child, a gummy bear looks like a gummy bear.

"If this is a case of someone at the grade school level who was aware of what they were taking, or giving to someone else to take, then that’s a bigger conversation," he said. "That’s one in which the child and their family would clearly benefit from some professional support."

The interim superintendent did not respond to a request for comment.

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).

If you or your family is looking for resources when it comes to addiction or substance abuse, the city has resources to share with you and a monthly resource fair where you can learn about them. For more information go here.