Saint Lucia’s Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACC) has expressed renewed concern over marketing commercial treats that might contain harmful substances after Jamaican students unknowingly ate cannabis-laced candy.
The more than 60 elementary school students ended up in the hospital and appeared to be in critical condition.
CNN quoted Education and Youth Minister Fayval Williams saying on Monday that the children are aged 7 to 12.
Williams disclosed via social media that the candy caused the children from St. Ann’s Bay Primary to vomit and hallucinate.
The Minister urged parents, teachers, and adults to beware and talk to children about ‘this serious and dangerous product.’
“One little boy said he only had ONE sweetie. That’s how potent this product is,” she disclosed.
The packaging stated the product contains Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as delta-8 THC, a psychoactive substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant.
However, reports indicate that the candy might have been repackaged for sale.
SAACC Acting Coordinator Natasha Lloyd-Felix told St. Lucia Times that the development in Jamaica demonstrated that the danger is real.
“We are noticing trends in the region, not just isolated to Jamaica or any one Caribbean country where there are threats of substances being contained in what are seemingly known commercial candies, treats and sweets,” Lloyd-Felix stated.
She recalled that as a result, the SAACC had issued a recent alert, later reinforcing it as schools reopened.
The SAACC Acting Coordinator explained that a child might likely be exposed to a product that does not appear threatening to health but could result in judgement-impairment and other adverse impacts.
“The Jamaica situation just points to the fact that this risk is real,” she observed.
Lloyd-Felix reiterated the need for parents, school administrators and society to recognise that individuals are using innovative methods to market products that could impair youngsters’ judgement.
She told St. Lucia Times that the SAACC and the Ministry of Health are examining their national coordinated effort to institute an early warning system for drugs and new psychoactive substances.
But Lloyd-Felix explained that the authorities need the partnership of parents, schools and the entire society to heighten vigilance, including reading package labels carefully and being wary about buying products that do not have packaging labels.
Headline photo: The cannabis-laced candy came in this bright packaging, according to Jamaican officials.
Hmm yall will learn with yall scientific names
WOW AND YOU KNOW HOW KIDS LOVE CANDY. I USE THC AND CBD AS PRESCRIBED AND PROPER DOSAGE OTHER WISE YOU WILL GET HALLUCINATIONS AND CRAZY HIGH, MUCH LESS KIDS AT THAT AGE. I TAKE LESS BECAUSE I FEEL SO HIGH YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO DIE. PARENTS PLEASE BE AWARE TALK TO THE KIDS, CHECK THEIR CANDY BAGS.
ONE OF THESE CANDIES SHOULD BE CUT IN 3 OR 4 PIECES, AND YOU STILL FEEL HIGH MUCHLESS EATING THE WHOLE ONE.
@mMa Malay I experienced this happened to my son. Its a horrow
Legalized it said Pancho. Well now children are paying for it. I strongly support the fact that Pancho should be hauled before the court.
What kind of craziness is this lord put a hand please
St. Lucia should have CNN and BBC news link here to broadcast the lawlessness that goes on here. We have are check list for so many organizations and none locally is functional, NONE. We have a government who ain care shit about the future generations and the damage effects. VOTE NGP either way we have nothing to loose because these 2 white elephants rule decades repeated and we still rock bottom.
Well, the THC is big and bold on the package. I suppose to hell with us if we do not know what it means … Lord, what a world 😴
check the colour of the packaging….rainbow all over…….rainbow world…….
This is an evil 😈act,if it teases you,ask God for more strenght to keep away,and bless you to say no”❗
🔻 Final Sow :Harzard
❗ Danger ❗
Marijuana is worshipped by black men. Nice way of getting rid of them by legalizing the herb. By the time they realize what’s happening they would be too stoned to do anything about it. Stupid to the highest degree. By then the white people will be in the cushy rehab with marijuana pump out of their systems and in therapy . Black men as usual won’t know what hit them. Recall the US crackheads? The Caribbean will get worst. COPD has killed many young men I know. All marijuana users. Now them killing each other with no thought should give cause for pause regarding these young men mental state.