2 Phoenix 6th graders treated after reportedly eating marijuana edibles
Jan 18, 2023, 12:36 PM | Updated: 3:03 pm
PHOENIX — Two Phoenix sixth grade students required medical attention Wednesday morning after reportedly consuming marijuana edibles, authorities said.
One of the children was taken to a hospital and was listed in stable condition, the Phoenix Fire Department said in a press release.
The other Shaw Butte Elementary School student went home with a guardian.
Firefighters responded to the campus at 21st Avenue and Cactus Road around 11:30 a.m. after the two students complained of medical issues.
No other details were made available.
“We are currently investigating the incident and disciplinary actions will be taken that are consistent with district policy and Arizona law,” Marcy Hyde, Shaw Butte assistant principal, said in a letter sent to parents.
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The number of children eating edibles that often look like candy has been on the rise in Arizona and across the nation, as more states legalize marijuana for recreational use.
The Banner Poison and Drug Information Center received about 300 calls last year, an increase of about 50 calls from the year prior.
The increase started after medicinal marijuana was legalized in Arizona in 2010. It jumped when recreational use was approved in 2020.
“That steady increase is getting close to almost a call a day, and we have just seen those numbers continue to rise year over year,” Maureen Roland, a nurse and managing director at the Banner Poison and Drug Information Center, told KTAR News 92.3 FM last week.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Griselda Zetino contributed to this report.
