Three-year-old, New Jersey boy hospitalized after ingesting weed edibles

Article content

Two people face child endangerment charges following an incident in which a three-year-old boy had to be hospitalized after eating cannabis edibles that had been left in his home by his mother’s friend.

Article content

New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency contacted the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office regarding a child who was taken by ambulance to a Hackensack hospital after eating a cannabis edible and becoming lethargic and, ultimately, unresponsive. As of Dec. 28, the child was still in critical condition at Hackensack University Medical Center, notes a statement Monday from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.

Article content

The incident occurred in the boy’s New Jersey home, where he lived with his mother, and the edibles had been brought to the residence by the mother’s friend, who was from New York state.

Article content

Article content

Both the boy’s mother and another adult have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and possession of narcotic paraphernalia. They have since been released pending their first court appearance.

Bergen County prosecutor Mark Musella emphasizes in the statement that the “charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Just this summer, Health Canada issued an advisory to parents following a number of children being hospitalized after consuming edibles they thought were regular treats. The advisory emphasizes that any cannabis edibles in the home need to have childproof packaging and be stored in places not easily accessible to kids.

Article content

“Consider storing cannabis products in a locked drawer or box, and separate from regular food or drinks,” the information suggested. “By properly storing and labelling cannabis products, there is less risk of accidental consumption.”

Voters in the Garden State voted to legalize the personal use of cannabis by adults during the recent election. And while the legislature recently passed bills allowing adults to possess as much as six ounces of weed without penalty and for cannabis to be regulated and sold, a few hurdles need to be cleared.

Governor Phil Murphy has said “technical, but important” issues remain with the decriminalization bill that must first be addressed before signing off, according to app.com.

In New York state, cannabis has been decriminalized, but adult-use weed continues to be illegal.

Article content

Want to keep up to date on what’s happening in the world of cannabis? Subscribe to the Cannabis Post newsletter for weekly insights into the industry, what insiders will be talking about and content from across the Postmedia Network.

Article content