Marijuana Gummies At Cleveland School Brought By Student: Police

CLEVELAND — More than a dozen elementary school children in Cleveland might have unintentionally consumed marijuana-laced Gummy Bears on Monday, police said. Some of the children were hospitalized for treatment and observation.

Staff at Anton Grdina Elementary School, on Cleveland's East Side, contacted police after a teacher discovered a plastic bag of Gummy Bears, labeled in a way that indicated the candies were laced with marijuana. School officials reviewed surveillance footage to determine who brought the Gummy Bears and who ate them.

The bag was brought to school by a 9-year-old student who might have taken it off a table in his house, according to a report from Cleveland Police. The 9-year-old and at least 12 other students, all under 10 years old, ate some of the candies.

Anton Grdina staff contacted parents, as well as police, and gathered all the students in one classroom. Police and EMS interviewed and observed the students.

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The 9-year-old that brought the Gummies told police that one of his family members had gotten intoxicated the night before and given him the bag. The boy's family discovered him with the candy but at first did not take it from him, police said. Later, however, someone in the family reclaimed the Gummy Bears, put them in kitchen and told the children not to touch them.

Before going to bed, though, the boy went back to the kitchen and stuffed the candy in his backpack, the boy told police.

Police went to the 9-year-old's home and arrested his mother, according to police reports. She has not yet been charged with any crimes, police noted.

Nine children were taken to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital by EMS. Those students were the following ages:

• 5-year-old female
• 6-year-old male
• 9-year-old male
• 5-year-old female
• 6-year-old male
• 6-year-old male
• 5-year-old female
• 8-year-old male
• 5-year-old male

Five sets of parents refused transport by EMS, Cleveland Police said.

Several of the Anton Grdina students taken to University Hospitals for treatment were also put under observation. The students were watched for approximately three hours and took a drug test. Only the 9-year-old tested positive for THC, according to police.

Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images