Third-Graders Found High After Eating Cannabis Gummy Bears Trigger Gas Leak Scare

Three third-graders from a California elementary school were hospitalized on Thursday after they were accidentally fed cannabis-laced edible candy by a friend, causing a panic after it was thought that they were suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Police officers were called to the Jacoby Creek School in Eureka, California after three students had exhibited the symptoms of intoxication during class. The officers evacuated the classroom and called the fire department for fear of a gas leak, according to the New York Daily News.

Instead of that, however, officers soon found out after the three children were brought to the hospital that they were suffering from the effects of cannabis gummy bears after a classmate of theirs who did not know that the candy contained marijuana offered it to them during recess, the Associated Press reported.

“A third-grade student inadvertently brought marijuana gummies to school and shared them with four peers at snack recess,” school principal Melanie Nannizzi said. “The students were not aware that the gummies contained marijuana.”

“This was a frightening incident for our entire school community,” Nannizzi said in an email explaining the situation to the parents.

The students who were affected have reportedly recovered from the effects of the gummy bears, and they do not appear to have any long-term damage to their health or psyche so far due to the incident.

The parents of the child who had given them the cannabis candy might face child endangerment charges for the actions of their child, though the police department of Arcata is still investigating the matter and would not comment on the case.

“We were assuming they came from somebody’s house,” officer Heidi Groszmann said. “It’s a friendly reminder to please store them in a safe location away from children because, obviously, they come in candy form.”