A Nova Scotia mother says her nine-year-old son and his classmates were hospitalized after eating a cannabis product, and she blames the confusion on packaging that makes the product look like a “treat.”
Health care worker Katrina MacDonald said that on March 20 her son’s classmate had brought to school a bag of “Nerd Bites,” which contain up to 400 milligrams of THC per piece, according to an online vendor which sells the product.
After the children ate the cannabis gummy bites, they soon became extremely ill and were taken to a local hospital, she told The Canadian Press. Ms. MacDonald said her son vomited at least seven times and his heart rate and blood pressure fell.
Ms. MacDonald said she saw four children in hospital due to ingesting cannabis edibles, while Halifax Regional Police said five children are believed to have swallowed the product.
Ms. MacDonald said she was struck by the packaging of the product, which is manufactured by a company called Welland Terpchaser.
“It looks eerily similar to a package of treats that any parent would buy for their child ..There’s a small label at the bottom which says THC, but ... my child didn’t know what THC was,” she told The Canadian Press.
The Epoch Times was unable to find a contact for Welland Terpchasers and after speaking to several cannabis shops in Welland, Ont., no one knew of the company or carried the product in their retail stores.
The measures are intended to “reduce the risks of accidental consumption and overconsumption as well as reduce the appeal of cannabis products to young persons while providing consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions before using cannabis,” the Health Canada website states.
“The absence of consequences, or any fear of consequences, will lead criminal actors to continue their activities, resulting in harm to individuals and communities,” the report’s authors stated.
