A 60-year-old daycare owner in Virginia has been arrested after authorities say three one-year-old babies who attended her daycare were exposed to THC, the “main psychoactive compound in cannabis.”
The owner, Rebecca Swanner, 60, self-surrendered on April 14 and faces three counts of cruelty and injury to children, Major Shawn Kimmitz of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) said in a press release. The magistrate released her on an unsecured $2,000 bond.
Deputy A.J. Deasy of the SCSO was called to the Stafford Hospital Center on March 2 regarding the babies’ THC exposure, Kimmitz said. The children’s parents had rushed them to the emergency room after noticing “lethargic and uncoordinated behavior as well as glassy, bloodshot eyes.”
After observing the symptoms, medical staff ordered testing, which revealed the one-year-olds were exposed to THC, Kimmitz wrote. “The connection between the three families was a licensed home day care provider in Windsor Forest subdivision,” the release stated.
While conducting a search of the daycare facility, Detective A. Sanchez recovered goldfish-shaped crackers near the children’s high chairs, the release said. Subsequent testing showed the presence of THC in the crackers, according to the SCSO.
Authorities alerted Child Protective Services to the matter, and the agency became involved in the case, Kimmitz noted. Swanner voluntarily forfeited the daycare’s license.
Children’s Hospital Colorado notes that the most common instances of THC “overdose incidents” in children result from their exposure to the drug in “edible” form.
The hospital reports:
In these instances, kids mistake “edible” marijuana (like gummy bears, brownies, lollipops, etc.) for regular food and eat it unknowingly. Small children are at higher risk based on their size and weight. Because edible products have very high amounts of marijuana, the symptoms are more severe on a small child. Many young children who consume marijuana edibles require hospital admission due to the severity of their symptoms.
It is unclear if authorities believe the March 2 exposure was deliberate or accidental. Breitbart News reached out to the SCSO, but Kimmitz did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In January, Breitbart News reported that a South Dakota school teacher was arrested as authorities alleged his mother unknowingly brought his pot-infused brownies to a community center card game.