UNION, Ky. — A Boone County man and woman have been arrested and charged with wanton endangerment after police said a 4-year-old girl was found unconscious after ingesting a THC gummy under their supervision.
"The edible was left unattended in a room in a small plastic container," said Major Philip Ridgell with the Boone County Sheriff's Office.
It's not immediately clear exactly what kind of THC gummy it was.
The Boone County Sheriff's Office said deputies were dispatched to a home Monday morning for the report of an unconscious child. Officials said the child had stayed with her grandmother, 60-year-old Darlene Schloss, the night before and had not woken up.
Schloss brought the child to her aunt's house, who immediately reported her condition to the child's parents before they called 911.
Officials said deputies found the child breathing, but unconscious with a gray complexion. She was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, where she stayed for two days and was released Wednesday morning.
According to a release, Schloss told deputies the child had ingested a gummy her brother, 63-year-old Stephen R. Troxell, had purchased and left in the open in their shared home. Both Schloss and Troxell were home when the child ate the gummy but neither reported it.
"There were two critical facts associated with this case as to why they were charged," said Ridgell. "The first was the delay in notifying emergency personnel to what was later classified as an overdose by Children's Hospital. The second was, that in combination with the child's complexion, there was obviously something going on inside of her body that didn't allow for her to wake up."
Officials said Schloss told deputies she didn't report it because Troxell told her police would "take (the child) away" if they found out.
Schloss and Troxell face one count of first-degree wanton endangerment and endangering the welfare of a minor. They were placed in the Boone County Detention Center and held on a $100,000 cash bond.
Boone County deputies are also investigating whether the store that sold the gummies violated packaging and labeling laws.
"It doesn't take a lot of ingestion of gummies for a young child to have significant medical issues," said Dr. Chris Peltier, President of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Peltier said the effects might not be visible for several hours. Lower doses might make kids appear intoxicated, while higher doses can lead to more serious issues like seizures.
"Treat it like you would any other medicine or poison and keep it locked up," he said.
Dr. Peltier said parents should call the poison center if their child ingests THC, even if the amount seems small. The number is 1-800-222-1222.
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