A 6-year-old girl overdosed in Lancaster Township after eating marijuana edibles that she found on the ground in her backyard, police say.
According to Lancaster Township police, on March 31, the girl was playing in the back yard of her home on Sterling Place when she found a package of marijuana edibles on the ground and consumed several of them without her parents’ knowledge.
Later that evening, the victim was lethargic, had shallow breathing, and had a series of seizures.
She was taken to the Lancaster General Hospital and then transferred to the Hershey Medical Center Children’s Hospital, where health care workers determined she had overdosed on marijuana edibles.
After several days of treatment to flush the drugs from her system, the girl recovered and is now in good health.
An investigation by the Lancaster Township Police Department and County Children and Youth determined the overdose was accidental and not the fault of the parents.
Police found the remnants of the marijuana gummy package in the backyard.
Investigators suspect that an unknown person dropped the drugs while using a public pathway that runs close to the home’s backyard.
Police suggest parents talk to their children about finding what may appear to be innocent packages of candy on the ground and the hazards of consuming cannabis products.
More information about the hazards of children accidentally consuming marijuana can be found here.
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