The Latest: Police probing likely pot candy eaten by kids
By Associated Press
Aug 8, 2016 5:27 PM CDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Latest on tainted candy in that sickened 19 (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

A special unit of the San Francisco Police Department is investigating how 19 people including a 6-year-old child could have eaten gummy candies at a birthday party that most likely were marijuana edibles. The 19 were hospitalized Sunday, but all of them were released by Monday.

Officer Grace Gatpandan said at a Monday news conference that the unit is interviewing people to see if the candies were intentionally placed at the party to target children, which would be a serious crime.

But she says investigators don't want to rush to the assumption that it was intentional.

She says police only know that the patients had THC in their systems, and they could not yet say whether the gummies had medical-grade levels of marijuana.

The patients' symptoms included a rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, lethargy and confusion.

Police did not name the Oakland catering company that provided the food for the party or say how the gummies were presented.

The prices of the candies vary widely, but they typically can be bought for about $25 for a pack of 10.

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11:55 a.m.

San Francisco health officials suspect the gummy candies that sickened 19 people at a birthday party contained edible marijuana.

Final lab results weren't available Monday, but officials say some of the hospitalized patients tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Thirteen of the patients were 18 or younger. The youngest was 6. They were hospitalized Saturday, and all had been discharged by Monday morning.

The patients' symptoms were consistent with the effects of edible cannabis, including rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, dilated pupils, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, lethargy and confusion.

San Francisco's health officer, Dr. Tomas Aragon says officials don't know where the candies came from.

The quinceanera celebration was hosted by a company in Oakland, California.

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11 a.m.

Authorities say 19 people were hospitalized after eating what may have been tainted gummy candy at a San Francisco birthday party.

The San Francisco Examiner reports Monday (http://bit.ly/2b7JnSl) three children were among those rushed to area hospitals Saturday from a young girl's quinceanera celebration.

San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Baxter told the newspaper that three of the sickened were children, including a 9-year-old. He told KTVU that symptoms included heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and swollen tongue.

All consumed a gummy candy that was unmarked.

Department of Public Health spokeswoman Rachael Kagan said they are testing all food eaten at the party to determine what made people sick.

In Latin cultures, a quinceanera marks a girl's coming of age when she turns 15.

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Information from: The San Francisco Examiner, http://www.sfexaminer.com