6 Children Hospitalized After Ingesting Cannabis-Infused Candy at Florida Boys & Girls Club

Eight children consumed the candy on Wednesday evening, with six being transported to the local hospital

Six children were hospitalized Wednesday after ingesting candy now believed to have been cannabis-infused at a Boys & Girls Club in Lauderhill, Florida, according to multiple reports.

The Lauderhill Police Department was called to Boys & Girls Club three separate times after eight children consumed the candy, police said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. Officers responded to the emergency calls between 3:30 and 6 p.m. local time.

In one of the emergency calls, the caller explained, “A 6-year-old female brought in edibles, then fed them to the kids," reports 7News Miami.

Once the police and firefighters arrived at the club on 5455 NW 19th St., two of the children were treated at the center and released to their parents. The remaining six were transported to the hospital in stable condition for further evaluation. They have since been released from the hospital, police said.

A club representative confirmed with NBC 6 Wednesday that three of the children were feeling better and returned to the afterschool center.

Related: S.C. Elementary School Teacher Accused of Having Marijuana Edibles in Students' Prize Box

The children who ingested the candies were between the ages of 6 and 8, reports NBC 6.

One of the children who ingested the gummies brought them to the center and shared them with the other seven children, a Boys & Girls Club representative confirmed to NBC 6.

“Upon learning of the situation, staff reacted immediately by contacting the local authorities and medical personnel, who responded quickly to the club facility. We are continuing to monitor the situation and the status of all youth involved,” Jay Juliano, a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Broward County, said, reports 7News Miami. “The safety and protection of the young people we serve is always our absolute highest priority, and we take any situation that might impact their well-being very seriously.”

All parents were notified of the incident and there are now "no concerns" for the health of the children, Lauderhill police said in a statement. Their investigation is ongoing and the substance the candy was "potentially infused with" remains unconfirmed, police said.

"There is currently no pending charges in regards to this incident," police said.

Related: 16-Year-Old Student Suffers Fentanyl Overdose Likely from Smoking Laced Marijuana, Police Say

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The recent incident joins the 443 calls to Florida’s Poison Control Centers regarding exposures to marijuana edibles, with 37.5% having occurred in children 5 or younger in 2023, Florida Poison Control Center in Miami spokesperson Wendy Stephan said, reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

According to Children’s Hospital Colorado, when children ingest too much cannabis they can suffer serious health problems, including confusion, hallucinations, fast heart rate and vomiting, while in severe cases, children can experience trouble breathing or enter comas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics reports there were 207 cases of kids under 6 ingesting edible cannabis in 2017 then increased by more than 1,375% in 2021, totaling at 3,054 cases. The studies have also found that 97% of the children find the edibles at home.

A spokesperson for the Lauderhill Boys and Girls Club didn't immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.

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