Jamaica: Over 60 school children hospitalised after consuming cannabis-infused sweets

Over 60 children in Jamaica have been rushed to the hospital after consuming sweets containing cannabis, according to Fayval Williams, the country's education minister.

Fayval Williams posted on social media platform X that the affected children were primary school students from the St Ann's Bay area, located approximately 80 kilometresfrom the capital city, Kingston.

Some of these students suffered from severe symptoms, including vomiting and hallucinations. None of them are currently reported to be in critical condition, reported the BBC.

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Williams commended the efforts of the medical staff treating the children, mentioning that several had to be administered intravenous (IV) drips.

She warned of the danger posed by these sweets, which raises questions about their availability and regulation.

While Williams initially identified the affected children as being from St Ann's Bay Primary School, local news agencies have reported that students from the nearby Ocho Rios Primary School were also impacted.

The principal of the latter school described the source of the sweets as a "lone vendor" who had illicitly sold the products to students.

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Law enforcement's role

Senior Superintendent Dwight Powell, head of the St Ann police department, has called upon anyone with information about the vendor or the tainted sweets to cooperate with the authorities.

Williams shared images of the product packaging, which clearly indicated that the sweets should not be sold to minors.

Each sweet is reported to contain a significant 100mg of Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance.

This dosage is considered high even for adults and is known to have intoxicating effects, as per the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

It is noteworthy that the sweets were produced by a US-based company in California, where cannabis is legalised, but they are not FDA-approved.

Jamaica decriminalised the possession of small amounts of cannabis (marijuana) for personal use in 2015.

However, Health Minister Christopher Tufton clarified that the government does not permit the importation of edibles containing drugs.

This incident in Jamaica is not isolated, as it follows a recent occurrence in South Africa where around 90 children fell ill after consuming drug-laced muffins purchased from a street vendor.

(With inputs from agencies)

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