A 6-year-old child was hospitalized after unknowingly ingesting 13 times more rapeseed than an adult. Candy with THC Purchased at a store in North Carolina.
The boy's mother, Katherine Butterright, said she thought he was buying Skittles. However, they are edible delta-9 and her son consumed about 40 of them.
“He was in excruciating pain,” Butterlight said. told the New York Post In an interview.
According to the mother, the family had gone out to lunch at the Common Market in Charlotte's South End neighborhood, a local convenience store franchise billed as “Unusual Convenience Store.”
Katherine Butterright said her 6-year-old son spent six hours in the emergency room after overdosing on Delta 9 edibles he bought at Common Market in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Google Maps/Google Street View)
Butterright said she was at the counter trying to pay for her food when her son saw what she thought were freeze-dried Skittles.
The boy begged his mother to buy him the candy, which he had recently heard from someone. YouTube video.
“I said, 'Sure, that's cool. Let's try it.' And he handed me the bag, and I handed it to the cashier, and she shoved it, and we made the transaction. ,” Butterlight said.
However, they were not Skittles, but bags of Delta-9 edibles distributed by Plug Distribution.
“I was never asked for any identification. I was never told what I was buying,” the mother told the Post.
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Butterlight and her son were out with her fiance, his parents and other children in the family. He tried one or two of the candies and didn't notice anything strange.
However, my 6-year-old son ate 40 pieces. Shortly after, his mother said her son started acting strange, complaining of a burning sensation in his pelvic area, freezing in his chest, a headache and an upset stomach.
“But he didn't show any symptoms that my child was actually suffering from. He had this grin on his face,” Butterlight told the Post. .
When his son complained that the water he gave him had a “bad taste,” the mother realized it was a symptom of poisoning and decided to call 911.
Her fiancé then read the ingredients on the bag and discovered that the candy contained delta-9 THC, an intoxicating chemical found in cannabis and hemp plants.
“He said it was marijuana pot and that it was three adult-sized pots,” Butterlight said. “So by that point, it was estimated at the hospital that he had finished about a third of the package, or about 30 to 40 units. So he was essentially taking 13 times the dose as an adult.” He was 6 years old and weighed like 40 pounds. ”
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Butterlight and her son mistook Delta 9 edibles for freeze-dried Skittles. (AP Photo/Mark Lenihan)
Her son spent six hours in the emergency room. Doctors told Butterlight that they don't know what the long-term effects will be for young children who ingest large amounts of THC.
The newspaper said the boy slept for 17 hours straight in the hospital before being allowed to go home, where he slept even more.
“When he woke up, the first thing he said was, 'At least it doesn't hurt anymore,'” Butterlight said.
In recent years, North Carolina has cracked down on THC-infused products sold under counterfeit snack brands such as Skittles, Airheads and Oreos.
In October, North Carolina's Secretary of State said food packages that contained markups identifying them as pot snacks were deceptive and could be overlooked by children and teens. He said there is.
Officials said they found numerous candies and snacks laced with THC. vape and cigarettes A store near a high school or university.
Reports of cannabis edible poisoning by children under 12 have increased nearly 700% since 2018, according to the National Poison Center. In 2022, 6,379 cases were reported to poison control centers, compared to 816 in 2018.
In Buttereit's case, the edible food consumed by her son was sold under the brand name King Canna Freeze Fried Zkittlez. The package is labeled “300MG Delta 9” and has a small stamp indicating that it may only be consumed by persons 21 years of age or older.
A spokeswoman for Common Market, located in Charlotte's South End neighborhood, said she spoke with Butterright personally by phone after the incident to address all of her concerns.
“To clarify the situation, we clearly sell a product to persons over the age of 21, the product is labeled '21+' on the outside front of the package, and contains marijuana leaf. “The product was then consumed. 'We no longer carry candy containing THC and we no longer have it in stock,'” Graham Worth said.
“Our staff is trained to educate buyers at the time of purchase. [other THC-containing products]It is also our policy to store these products in fiberglass cases or behind the counter for staff handling. “We have been communicating with all staff members and managers to ensure this is done properly,” Worth added. “Additionally, we have enhanced the claims on these products beyond what is on the actual packaging. Please see the label on the packaging itself.”
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Batterite declined to be interviewed by Fox News Digital, saying her family has received “tremendous hate, criticism and harassment” since telling her story to the media.
“Thank you to our news teams who are working to raise awareness of the dangers of these drugs being sold like candy to children,” she said. “This is a very serious potential hazard and needs to be addressed.”
Fox Business' Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
