‘Stop blaming dagga’: Debunking myth behind Pulamadibogo incident

There is no such thing as dagga poisoning, according to cannabis activist and founder of Fields of Green Myrtle Clarke, who questions whether the “space cakes” that allegedly got 90 school children hospitalised had been tested and confirmed to contain dagga.

On Wednesday, 90 pupils from Pulamadibogo Primary School in Soshanguve were hospitalised after consuming muffins suspected to have been laced with dagga.

The pupils were discharged yesterday. Clarke said it was concerning that it was reported that the muffins were cannabis-infused if they hadn’t been tested.

This was due to the age-old stigma around cannabis, she added. Clarke said if the muffins were laced just with dagga, the children would not have needed to go to the hospital.

READ: Three children still in hospital after eating ‘space cookies’

“There were some strange symptoms that wouldn’t have been associated with dagga in whatever they ate,” she said.

“There no such thing as dagga poisoning,” she said.

Clarke questioned whether samples given to the children would be tested or the children tested to check for dagga in their systems.

“To me it just sounds like stigma. It is bad reporting. It could be food poisoning or something else they ate,” she said.

“We send all our love to the children and their families and the school but we are not impressed at all. It’s just a load of rubbish. Stop blaming dagga,” she said.

Criminologist Prof Jaco Barkhuizen said: “It was the actions of individuals who thought they were being funny.

“It’s just like giving alcohol to children. Yes, marijuana, like alcohol, should be regulated but take into consideration the Constitutional Court ruling that personal use is okay.

“It’s the fault of the irresponsible people that gave these kids ‘space cakes’,” he said.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng shadow MEC for education Khume Ramulifho said the DA in Gauteng demanded that the department of education conduct an urgent investigation at Pulamadibogo Primary School after the pupils fell ill.

“This is worrying as this is not the first time that pupils have fallen ill after purchasing food outside the school gate.

“Earlier this year, a group of pupils fell ill after eating ‘space cookies’ bought from a vendor outside the school premises in Alexandra,” he said.

Ramulifho said Gauteng schools did not have a functional vetting process for vendors to ensure that food supplied to pupils was safe, hygienic and healthy.

Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane said the department was pleased that two suspects who allegedly sold the muffins to pupils from Pulamadibogo Primary School have been arrested and appeared before the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Chiloane confirmed all affected pupils had been discharged from the Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital.

“According to information at our disposal, the two suspects face attempted murder charges and are expected to appear in court again on 29 September.

“We applaud the police for swiftness in arresting these suspects. We are hopeful that they can apprehend more unscrupulous individuals who may be involved in this criminal act, which can stand as a deterrent to others who seek to peddle drugs to our pupils,” he said