A four-year-old boy in Drummondville, Quebec, was taken to hospital after eating a chocolate bar he received while trick-or-treating on Halloween that contained cannabis.[1] A urine test at the hospital detected THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis.[1] His stepmother, Rebeka Lefebvre, said hospital staff first said he seemed to be fine and sent them home, then the boy fell to the floor crying as they were leaving and his heart rate shot up.[2]

CityNews reported that the boy ate a KitKat bar that appeared perfectly normal and sealed, and that he showed extreme drowsiness and an elevated heart rate.[3] Lefebvre said she had checked the boy’s Halloween candy and nothing looked out of the ordinary.[1] She warned parents on social media to check their children’s candy, including wrapped pieces that appear untouched.[3]

The Sûreté du Québec, Quebec’s provincial police, confirmed that an investigation into the incident is underway.[1] The boy had returned home by the time the accounts were published and was out of danger.[3] Doctor Christopher Labos, a cardiologist at the McGill University Health Centre, said a child who consumes cannabis should be taken seriously, with the worst cases involving seizures and coma.[1]

The accounts of the incident report no suspect, seizure or charge.[3]