NEWBERRY COUNTY, S.C. — Newberry County authorities have arrested a 17-year-old and are warning the community after a student was found "non-responsive" from a marijuana edible they consumed, investigators say.
The Newberry County Sheriff's Office said the incident occurred on Monday when a student at one of the county's schools was found in a non-responsive state but breathing which led to emergency medical services being called.
The student, who is expected to be OK, told deputies that they got a marijuana edible from another student and ate it while at school. The student who consumed the item said that they then started feeling the effects of the THC-laced cereal bar.
THC is the chemical present in marijuana that is generally responsible for its psychological effects.
Investigators later identified the student who gave out the edible and took them into custody. The investigation then led to the student's home in Union County where they found more edibles, marijuana, and a gun. That student is now facing charges for the distribution of marijuana and also faces criminal charges in Union County. They are being detained at the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia.
Sheriff Lee Foster warned that it is dangerous to combine drugs and sweets as it's difficult to determine how potent they are which could lead to serious illness or death.
Asked if his department believes any additional drugs may have been present in the edible, the sheriff said that it is believed to have only contained high THC.
According to the National Institutes of Health and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health in a report dated November 2019, children generally have more severe symptoms than adults when exposed to THC, particularly when exposure comes from candy containing the chemical compound.
The agencies add that there have been "many reports of unintentional consumption of cannabis or its products by children, leading to illnesses severe enough to require emergency room treatment or admission to the hospital."