A San Francisco birthday party took an upsetting turn on Saturday when guests began feeling ill after consuming orange candy gummy rings that were later found to contain edible marijuana.
The candy sickened 19 people who unknowingly ate the marijuana-laced candy at a quinceañera party. They were all taken to area hospitals after experiencing symptoms including rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, lethargy and confusion, which can occur with edible marijuana consumption, San Francisco Department of Public Health officials said.
Thirteen of the patients were aged 18 or younger, ranging in age from 6 to 18, the health department said.
Lab results on the orange-colored gummy ring candies along with lab work from 12 of the hospitalized patients showed positive findings for THC, (tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, health department officials said.
A public health official called the incident "a strong warning about the dangers of edibles."