A Tennessee mother has been charged after investigators say her young children ate her THC hemp gummies, resulting in their hospitalization. The children, both under 8, have since been placed in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services after their mother, Candice Hickson, failed a methamphetamine drug test, according to the district attorney general.
Hickson is charged with child neglect and endangerment, and her bail has been set at $25,000, according to the arrest warrant.
District Attorney General Frederick Agee said in a statement that the case will be prosecuted “within the letter of the law,” while also aiming to help Hickson receive addiction treatment so she can eventually reunite with her children safely.
According to the arrest warrant, Hickson called 911 last week to report a possible overdose after her children got into the gummies at their home in Milan, Tennessee. Officers arrived to find both children unresponsive. Hickson said they were able to reach the gummies while she was in the bathroom and she did not know how many they consumed.
The children were taken to Le Bonheur Hospital in Memphis and released within 48 hours, officials said.
THC hemp gummies are legal for adults 21 and older in Tennessee. Agee noted that while there have been no known deaths from consuming legal hemp THC gummies, the case serves as a reminder for parents to secure any substances that may cause harmful reactions—especially potent and addictive drugs such as opioids and benzodiazepines.
Hickson is scheduled to appear in Gibson County General Sessions Court on Dec. 16. No attorney was listed for her.
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