Student sickened after ingesting cannabis-infused candy distributed at East Bay school event

ByJ.R. Stone KGO logo

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Child sickened after ingesting cannabis candy given at EB school event

A student was sickened after ingesting cannabis-infused candy found mixed in their bag at Amelia Earhart Elementary School's Halloween event.

ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- Several elementary school students ended up with cannabis-infused candies in their bag at a trick-or-treating event in Alameda on Sunday.

One child was sickened; parents of three others found the marijuana candy before their kids ate it and after warnings went out.

UPDATE: 6 families found cannabis candy after East Bay school event; sick student OK: superintendent

"I was shocked, like what's going on?"

Li Lei, whose daughter is in kindergarten, is reacting to news that some kids at the Trunk or Treat PTA event at Amelia Earhart Elementary School in Alameda, came home with more than just candy full of sugar.

MORE: Halloween safety concerns parents, drivers, and trick-or-treaters need to be aware of

Some came home with cannabis-infused fruit candy full of THC, what some might refer to as weed or marijuana candy.

"A student had found, in the bag of candy they brought home, an edible with about 10 mg of THC in it," said Superintendent Pasquale Scuderi of the Alameda Unified School District.

The trick-or-treating type event was held in the school parking lot Sunday. The district says one student ate at least part of the cannabis-infused candy.

"We do know the student appears to have ingested the candy unintentionally, the family got help, and the student is stabilized and is doing well," said Scuderi.

After the school and district put out a warning, additional families came forward to say that they also found a KIVA brand Lost Farm Fruit Chew. The woman who took a picture of it tells us one of her three kids had the cannabis candy in their bag.

Cannabis-infused fruit chews were found mixed in with students' candy from an Alameda elementary school event.

Parents we spoke with say they're just glad that more kids weren't sickened.

"I have no experience with candies like that, but we do check our candy regardless of things like this happening," said Kristin Gaw whose child is in TK.

"I was thinking, oh geez that's like really scary because this is from the PTA event!" said Lei.

Multiple kids came home with the cannabis-infused candies and the district says they were all blue.

"I checked the rest of the candies there. I didn't find that blue one but Angel ate, she ate one, but I'm not sure which if that one was the blue one. I need to double check with her when we get back home," said Lei.

MORE: For the second Halloween in a row, US candy inflation hits double digits

The superintendent says the district is now working with police to see where the candies came from - they're warning you to check your kid's candy on Halloween before they eat it.

The Alameda Unified School District sent this message out to parents:

Dear AUSD Families,

We are writing today to alert you that two families who attended a PTA Halloween event at Earhart Elementary School have found cannabis-infused fruit chews in their student's candy.

We are working with Earhart staff and the Alameda Police Department to investigate the source of this candy.

In the meantime, we urge all families to sort through their child's candy generally this week, and to specifically look for Lost Farm Cannabis-Infused Fruit Chews. These wrapped chews look like Starburst but specifically say "Cannabis-Infused" on them.

Please know that we are working quickly to determine the source of this candy and if other children received it. If you have any information on these fruit chews or if you also find cannabis candy in your student's collection, please contact us immediately.

The Alameda Police Department put out this message:

Community Advisory: A child receives THC-infused candy at a Halloween event.

The Alameda Police Department would like to bring your attention to a concerning incident that recently happened. We are currently investigating the report of a child ingesting THC-infused candy they received at a local Halloween trick-or-treating event over the weekend. The child became ill and sought immediate medical attention.

Many THC-infused candies can closely resemble popular name brand sweets. This incident highlights a concern regarding the safety of our community during holiday celebrations such as Halloween.

The Alameda Police Department urges all parents, guardians, and caregivers to take the following precautions:

- Check your child's candy: Look for candies that have unusual packaging, labeling, closely resemble well-known brands, or appear to be tampered with.

- Educate children: Speak with children about the importance of not consuming candies that are not in their original, sealed packaging and have not been thoroughly examined by a caregiver.

- Err on the side of caution: If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the candy, discard it.

- Report suspicious candy: If you come across candy that raises concerns, contact the Alameda Police Department right away.

We will keep you updated on this investigation as more information becomes available. In the meantime, exercise extra caution and inspect your child's Halloween candy. The safety and well-being of our community is our highest priority. Together, we can ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable Halloween.