Two brothers, ages 3 and 5, were admitted to the pediatric emergency department at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center presenting symptoms of dizziness, confusion, blurred vision, and difficulty walking.
After a thorough examination by medical and nursing staff, doctors determined the children were suffering from severe poisoning after consuming candy containing THC and CBD—active compounds found in cannabis.
Upon arrival, nurse Sarah Hefter immediately initiated monitoring and emergency treatment for the boys. Dr. Mohammed Hamed, a resident in the pediatrics department, explained: "From discussions with the family, we learned that each child ate two candies, and according to the packaging, each candy contained 20 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD."
Dr. Amir Fisher, a senior physician in the pediatric emergency department, said "the children suffered severe poisoning from exposure to these substances, particularly the 3-year-old brother whose lower body weight made him more vulnerable."
According to Dr. Fisher, "in most poisoning cases of this type, the primary symptoms affect the central nervous system—blurred vision, unstable gait, and changes in heart rate. There are also other more serious but rarer effects—seizures, respiratory failure or depression, and even coma. For this type of poisoning, there is no antidote that reduces the toxin's effects, so treatment is mostly supportive unless additional intervention is required."
"Fortunately," Dr. Fisher added, "the children reached us at an early stage without severe symptoms. If they had eaten additional candies—their lives could have been in danger."
The brothers were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, directed by Dr. Jacques Brown, for monitoring and observation. After 24 hours, when their symptoms did not worsen, they were discharged home in good condition.
Talia Chernosvitov, deputy head nurse in the pediatric emergency department, said: "We treat poisoning cases from various sources from time to time, but exposure to such a high dose of psychoactive substances is relatively rare. I tell all parents—children are curious, and they don't necessarily know how to distinguish between innocent candy and a toxic product that could be life-threatening. Watch over them and keep products and substances that could endanger their health far away from them."
