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 Montaño 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, Montaño said.
He described the THC-laced item as a sour punch straw.
Montaño said he knows the student who brought the candy, but is unsure how or where it was obtained.
“We don’t think there is any criminal intent behind it,” Sandoval County Sheriff John Castaneda said.
On April 1, New Mexico opened the doors to recreational cannabis by making the drug legal for adults to purchase.
“I’m a little bit saddened by the fact we didn’t predict this was going to happen,” Montaño 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.
“Legislators in New Mexico must immediately enact a 15% 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.”
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