An 11-year-old boy from Staten Island, New York, was hospitalized after reportedly ingesting edible marijuana gummies that he mistook for candy at a Super Bowl party Sunday, February 12.
The boy’s mom, Veronica Gill, who is calling on New York City Mayor Eric Adams to place restrictions on edible THC gummies, told The New York Post that her son Ryan was “acting really strange” after returning home from a party held by friends in New Springville.
The Post reported that Gill rushed her son to an urgent care center, where doctors called an ambulance due to his racing heartbeat. Ryan was transported to the emergency room at Richmond University Medical Center, where a urinalysis revealed the boy had allegedly ingested high levels of THC in the last few hours. Ryan recovered after spending one night in the hospital, according to The Post.
Gill told The Post that her son found the edible weed gummies in her friend’s candy drawer during the party. Gill said her friend told her, “I have no idea how the hell this got into my house.” The Post reported she is not angry with her friend because the packaging for edible weed gummies ingested by her son is similar to the ones used for candy brands, with only small THC warnings that can easily be missed.
11-year-old NYC boy overdoses on pot gummies at Super Bowl party https://t.co/G0NbNINEiY pic.twitter.com/HojHdaaAQL
— New York Post (@nypost) February 18, 2023
Gill is asking Mayor Adams to take action against illegal cannabis sellers, especially those who market toward children – something Adams promised to do at a City Hall press conference on Dec. 15. The Post reported that New York has four licensed cannabis shops but over 1400 illegal peddlers who sell unregulated marijuana products in New York City without police intervention. (RELATED: Virginia Mom Charged In Death Of 4-Year-Old Son Who Consumed Large Amount Of THC Gummies)