A Louisiana couple has been charged after allegedly leaving their 4-year-old child alone for eight hours while the child was intoxicated from consuming a THC gummy. Mary Cormier, 36, and David Butt, 34, both from Scott, were arrested on Saturday following the incident, according to local authorities.
Police said the child was found unresponsive when the couple returned home from attending a Louisiana State University football game. Officers learned that the parents were aware their child had ingested the THC edible but chose to leave the child in the care of another juvenile instead of seeking immediate medical attention.
The child was transported to a hospital, where they remain in intensive care. Law enforcement charged both Cormier and Butt with second-degree cruelty to juveniles, child desertion, and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
According to the National Institutes of Health, unintentional marijuana ingestion poses significant risks to children under five years old and accounted for 41% of all poison control center calls related to such exposures in 2020. Marijuana toxicity in young children can lead to severe health complications, including respiratory failure, seizures, and unresponsiveness.