Three children hospitalised after eating cannabis jellies in Dublin

The Runtz cannabis jellies confiscated by gardaí in Dublin. Dr Pamela Byrne said: “This new development is a sinister attempt to sell narcotics in the form of sweets and those involved are obviously not concerned about the consequences of these products getting into the hands of vulnerable people like children who could consume these products unwittingly to the detriment of their health.”

Three children have been discharged from hospital after ingesting suspected cannabis jellies in Dublin last night.

It is understood the children, believed to be pre-teens, became ill after consuming a product advertised as cannabis-infused edibles. The incident occurred in a house in West Dublin.

Gardaí say their conditions are not life-threatening. The jellies, marketed as ‘Runtz’ sweets, have since been seized and will be analysed by Forensic Science Ireland.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has previously issued a warning on the detrimental effects of ingesting cannabis-infused jellies.

The warning followed a number of incidents involving edible products containing high levels of the psychotropic cannabis component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) being intercepted by An Garda Síochana and Revenue’s Customs Service.

In at least one incident, sweets containing cannabis oil were consumed by a number of teenagers, one of whom suffered serious adverse health effects resulting in hospitalisation.

Chief Executive at FSAI, Dr Pamela Byrne, described THC as a “toxic contaminant” which should not be added to any food.

“We are warning consumers about the dangers from eating these sweets with cannabis products added. People should only ever buy food from reputable sources and be sure they check the food labels. THC is not classified as food in the EU and is a controlled substance in Ireland,” Dr Byrne said.

“This new development is a sinister attempt to sell narcotics in the form of sweets and those involved are obviously not concerned about the consequences of these products getting into the hands of vulnerable people like children who could consume these products unwittingly to the detriment of their health,” added Dr Byrne.