A mother in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, pleaded guilty Monday to manslaughter in the death of her 4-year-old son, who consumed a deadly amount of marijuana-infused gummies last year.
Authorities said Dorothy Annette Clements did not get help soon enough for her son, Tanner Clements, when he was found unconscious on May 6, 2022, at a home the two were visiting.
Tanner Clements died two days later. An autopsy found that THC caused the boy’s death. THC is the active ingredient in marijuana that gets you high.
In October, Dorothy Clements was arrested and charged with murder. That charge was reduced to manslaughter as part of a plea deal prosecutors made with Dorothy Clements on Monday. She also admitted to one count of child abuse and neglect.
Dorothy Clements was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with a 10-year suspension. She is expected to serve a total of 10 years in prison.
According to search warrant documents, Dorothy Clements told a police detective that her son ate half a CBD jellybean and that she called poison control and was assured he would be fine.
But the detective said she found an empty THC jelly bean bottle in the house and toxicology results showed that Tanner Clements had extremely high levels of THC in her system, according to the documents.
Investigators said he might have survived if Dorothy Clements had helped him sooner.
The dangers of children consuming THC gummies
Dr. Jill McCabe, a pediatric emergency room physician at Inova Loudoun Hospital, explained that any amount of THC can be problematic for children, and it’s a growing problem.
“THC gummies in any amount definitely pose a risk to children. There are many reasons for that. One is that the packaging doesn’t include any kind of child-resistant mechanism,” McCabe said. “They also look like candy, so they are something, when children find them, most children put them in their mouths and swallow them.”
The amount of THC in gummies is not regulated and can vary widely.
Parents should lock up any products with this substance to make sure children cannot access them, McCabe urged.
A Maryland mother shared a cautionary tale with our sister network NBC Washington in 2021 after her young son unknowingly ate some of the marijuana edibles he was prescribed for sleep.
“He was unusually lethargic,” Elizabeth Perry said. “…I was putting him to sleep and I put him to bed, and he started shaking and crying and he looked at me with utter fear in his eyes.”
Oliver was rushed to Anne Arundel Medical Center where he went into seizures and his vital signs dropped. Doctors ran tests, intubated him, and transported him to Children’s National Hospital in DC. Oliver made a full recovery after the 36-hour ordeal.
What to do if a child accidentally eats THC gummies
A call to Poison Control, 1-800-222-1222, might be enough if the child is showing minor symptoms, McCabe said.
But any serious symptoms, such as vomiting or lethargic behavior, require urgent action.
“If they are having difficulty breathing, not breathing well, having seizures, difficulty walking, very lethargic and persistent vomiting, those would all be reasons to immediately call 911 and get your child to the nearest emergency department,” McCabe said. .
Poison Control reports that other common side effects that children may experience include: rapid heart rate, drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, abnormally slow heart rate, and low blood pressure.
Recent research suggests that younger children, especially those under the age of 10, who are exposed to cannabis edibles are more likely to require hospitalization and respiratory support than older children, according to Poison Control.
