Two Men Charged After 90 South African Students Were Hospitalized After Eating Drug-Laced Muffins

Two men face multiple charges of attempted murder in South Africa after around 90 children fell ill from eating drug-laced muffins.

Officials said the children bought the muffins from a street vendor on their way to school north-west of Pretoria.

Many were taken to the hospital for nausea, stomach pain and vomiting. Three girls remain in hospital as of Saturday, reports the BBC.

Two suspects, aged 21 and 19, were on Friday charged with attempted murder.

What Happened

When school officials saw the children's strange behavior and physical illness, they called an ambulance.

The police are still waiting for the results of a toxicology report to confirm if the muffins were infused with marijuana or some other narcotic.

Fortunately, as many as 87 pupils were quickly discharged from medical facilities except for the three girls.

The incident comes shortly after the South African Police Services (SAPS) issued a new order seeking to clarify confusing legislation in the enactment of cannabis laws since the 2018 Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling, known as Prince 3, decriminalized personal use. The new order made it clear that South African law enforcement agents will no longer arrest people for personal cultivation or possession of cannabis.

Considering that this was a serious incident and not a case of personal possession, the country’s police are doing their job. 

What’s next: The toxicology report is yet to confirm if cookies were indeed made with marijuana, and two suspected are scheduled to appear before Soshanguve Magistrate's Court on Friday. The Democratic Alliance party spokesperson Khume Ramulifho said he plans to urge the provincial government to enhance safety procedures at school. 

Photo: Courtesy of David Todd McCarty via Unsplash