3 year old one of several Thai children recovering from cannabis-related incidents

The Royal College of Paediatricians of Thailand and the Paediatrics Society of Thailand has reported a spate of serious health-threatening, cannabis-related cases involving a 3 year old child and several other children.

Only last week Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed his fears for the health and safety of Thailand’s children after the decriminalisation of cannabis on June 9 while a number of health experts also voiced their concerns.

Asst. Prof. Dr Opass Putcharoen, chief of the Emerging Infectious Disease Clinical Centre at Chulalongkorn Hospital, announced on Facebook yesterday that a 3 year old girl ate part of a cookie, containing cannabis, which a relative had stored in the house. The child reportedly became sleepy and subdued and was sent to hospital for treatment, where she recovered.

The child is only one of several cases reported between June 21 and 26.

Another case involves a 14 year old psychiatric patient, who had not received any medical treatment for two weeks and unknowingly smoked a joint given to him by a friend. The teenager became confused and his mood changed. He was treated at a hospital and sent home.

A second teenager in Phichit province admitted he consumed some cannabis flowers for fun. The 17 year old had hallucinations, became aggressive and tried to harm himself. He was also treated before being sent home.

Another teenager smoked cannabis given to him by a friend and became anxious, tried to self-harm and had to be restrained by his mother. The 16 year old was told to stay away from school while he was treated with psychiatric medication.

A second 16 year old in Bangkok, with a history of psychiatric problems, tried chocolate containing cannabis and vomited. The youngster became anxious and began hallucinating.

Finally, there was a reported case of a school teacher who confronted a pupil in class to see if he was OK after noticing the student from Nakhon Si Thammarat had lost a lot of weight and become lethargic. The teenager confessed he’d had been using cannabis for about a year. The 17 year old was sent to see a doctor and then treated at home.

Dr Opass urged doctors who treat children for cannabis-related symptoms to report the cases to the Royal College of Paediatricians and the Paediatrics Society of Thailand, so they can keep a record of all cases and develop measures to protect the nation’s youth from the drug’s harmful effects.

SOURCE: Thai PBS