A 12-year-old was arrested on criminal charges recently after he gave marijuana-laced gummies to kids in his gym class, according to the sheriff in Polk County.
The boy, a middle-school student, gave blocks of the gummies larger than the usual dosage to fellow seventh graders, the sheriff said. As a result, five of the six kids who consumed the edibles wound up in the hospital with symptoms ranging from dizziness to nausea.
The incident came to light when one of the affected children told a faculty member what happened.
The sheriff said the hospitalized children will recover without incident. Their reaction was due in large part to the six kids consuming an amount that was meant to be split 10 ways.
As a result, the 12-year-old boy has been charged with a felony count of possession of marijuana resin or THC, as well as six felony counts related to distributing THC within 1,000 feet of a school, according to the sheriff.
He also has been charged with one misdemeanor count of paraphernalia possession.
The investigation is ongoing and authorities are trying to learn how the student acquired the gummies. The sheriff said that the boy has changed his story. His parents have been cooperative.
The children who consumed the edibles will not be charged in connection with the case, according to the sheriff.
“We have long been concerned about the dangers of marijuana-infused candy, and that it would get into the hands of, and poison, children,” the sheriff said, according to the Orlando Sentinel. “Here’s an example of that.”
This defendant is a child, but the charges are serious. His parents will need to retain the services of a Florida criminal defense attorney. A good defense is required to make sure these drug charges — a big error of the boy’s youth — are handled properly.