A Virginia mother has been charged with murder following her son’s death after he ingested THC edibles.
A grand jury charged Dorothy Annette Clements, 30, with felony murder and felony child neglect, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The charges come more than five months after Ms Clement’s four-year-old son died.
The boy, named Tanner according to his obituary, suffered a medical emergency on 6 May 2022. Paramedics and law enforcement responded to the residence in the 5400 block of Jamie Court after the report was made.
Ms Clements told responding officers that her son had ingested half a CBD gummy and that Poison Control had told her he’d be fine after she made a call, according to NBC. However, investigators found an empty THC jar at the home and high THC levels in Tanner’s blood.
“Detectives from the Child Victims Unit investigated the death and learned from doctors that the child’s toxicity level showed a high level of THC,” the department said.
Investigators said they believe the child ingested large amounts of THC. A doctor interviewed by law enforcement also told authorities that death could have been prevented if a medical team would have intervened right after the ingestion.
Tanner died two days after the accident on 8 May.
“Statements made to Detectives by the mother did not match evidence seized at the home,” the statement by authorities added.
Ms Clements was arrested on Thursday, after the grand jury made the indictment on 17 October.
She is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
According to the CDC, accidental marijuana poisonings in children have increased, “sometimes requiring visits to the emergency room or hospitalization,” since it has been legalized in some states.
Parents are urged to seek immediate medical attention in the event children present difficulty breathing or walking, drowsiness, vomiting, or seizure symptoms after accidentally ingesting THC.
