Pictured is the THC-laced candy that 14 Algodones elementary school ate and caused them to go to area hospitals on Monday.

 

I’m a little bit saddened by the fact we didn’t predict this was going to happen — Bernalillo Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Montano 

 

 

The 14 Algodones elementary school students who were hospitalized after eating THC-infused candy are doing OK. 

“They are all back and feeling better again,” Bernalillo Public Schools Superintendent Matthew Montano told the Observer, adding that some of the students returned to class Tuesday.  

The third- and fourth-grade students were sent to area hospitals late Monday morning after eating THC-infused candy. 

Some of the students felt lethargic. Others were nauseous, Montano said.

He described the THC-laced item as a sour punch straw.

Montano said he knows the student who brought the candy, but is unsure how he or she got it. 

There are currently no suspects. 

“We don’t think there is any criminal intent behind it,” Sandoval County Sheriff John Castaneda said. 

New Mexico on April 1 opened the doors to recreational cannabis, by making the drug legal for adults.  

“I’m a little bit saddened by the fact we didn’t predict this was going to happen,” Montano said. 

Bernalillo Public Schools will look to educate parents and district employees “so they can be more aware and recognize the implications of what legalization means and how it can actually have an impact on our students and our schools,” he said.

Some people are advocating that legislators consider amending the new law. 

“Less than one week since New Mexico launched retail sales and schools and families are already coping with the consequences of massive marijuana commercialization. New Mexico legislators must respond in the best interests of children, not in the best interest of corporations,” said Luke Niforatos, executive vice president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).

“Marijuana companies actively choose to market and sell products that look like regular candy. This incident with THC-laced candy isn’t a fluke, it’s part of their marketing strategy. Legislators in New Mexico must immediately enact a 15 percent potency cap and strong product restrictions on any youth friendly products,” he said. “Most importantly, legislators must finance robust education campaigns for parents, children, and the community on the dangers of high potency marijuana.” 

The case remains under investigation.