COLUMBUS, Ohio — You don’t know how a problem can impact someone until that someone is you.
“It’s aggravating,” the Upper Arlington mother said. “It’s tragic. It saddens me because [no] family should have to go through something like that.”
10TV is not identifying the mother due to ongoing litigation. Her child was one of the five students at Windermere Elementary who were sent to the hospital last year after eating THC edibles the students thought were candy.
“She was throwing up and she was hallucinating and she had no idea where she was,” the mother said.
She said her child and her family continue to feel the after-effects.
“The fear of somebody offering her candy,” she said. “And, not just her, her siblings as well.”
Last May, Scott Macre pleaded guilty to inducing panic, obstructing official business and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance. In June, he was ordered to pay court fees and restitution to the families affected, which was around $1,250.
RELATED: Records: Upper Arlington elementary student mistook father’s marijuana edibles for Easter candy
This week, in a separate incident, two students at Fairwood Elementary School became ill after eating marijuana gummies.
The Columbus School District says the students were taken to the hospital, but are now at home with their parents. The district also says the principal will take appropriate disciplinary actions and that CCS is working with Franklin County Children’s Services and Columbus Police during the investigation.
Ultimately, the district says it’s up to the Columbus Division of Police to pursue any possible charges.
“It’s only gonna get worse,” the mother said. “It’s not gonna get any better.”
While many people online view this as harmless, or even playful or comedic, the mother said, instead, everyone should be thinking what if this happened to you?
“And until it happens to you and your family, you can’t even describe what the family feels and goes through,” she said.
The mother is also supporting the Laura Stack Project, which is an initiative aimed at informing parents about potential dangers of marijuana and THC.
She says Stack will host an event at Upper Arlington High School Thursday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m.