The police arrested several people after ingesting gummies with cannabis components and reporting symptoms of dizziness to 119, the Korean Emergency Service.
On the 12th, the Gwangjin Police Station in Seoul announced that they are investigating four individuals, including a suspect in his 30s, arrested under suspicion of violating the Drug Control Act.
These university friends allegedly consumed cannabis gummies at a restaurant in Gwangjin District around 8 pm on the 11th. It was found that the suspect handed out the gummies to the rest of the group, claiming it “made him feel good.”
Subsequently, two individuals who had eaten the gummies reported feeling dizzy and called 119, leading to their capture when the fire department requested assistance from the police.
In the preliminary drug test, all four individuals tested positive for cannabis.
The police are currently investigating how the suspect obtained the cannabis gummies and whether there were any collusions among the group.
On the 10th, a man in his 20s who had shared cannabis gummies with his older sister in her 30s at an apartment in Seocho District, Seoul, called 119, saying they were in pain and taken to the hospital.
A preliminary drug test confirmed that both siblings tested positive for cannabis.
The sister said she “bought the gummies on a recent trip to Thailand.” Based on their statements, the police are investigating the details of the incident, including whether they purposely consumed the gummies containing the drug.
Recently, as the abuse of gummies and other products containing cannabis components has increased overseas, the number of hospitalized patients in Korea has surged, leading the Korea Food and Drug Administration to block the import of such products.
On the 25th of last month, the Food and Drug Administration newly designated gummies and candies containing HHC-O-acetate, a component similar to cannabis, as raw materials and ingredients blocked from import into Korea.