A disturbing incident at William Floyd Middle School has reignited calls for stronger laws to protect children from dangerous cannabis products disguised as everyday snacks. Thirteen students fell ill in March after ingesting marijuana-infused gummies, prompting an investigation that led to the arrest of three individuals—one of whom is believed to have supplied the illicit edibles to the students.
Senator Dean Murray praised the swift and coordinated efforts of law enforcement and school officials but said the case should serve as a wake-up call for state lawmakers.
“I commend the police and school officials for working together to get to the bottom of this serious situation,” Murray said. “All parties have been diligent since the March 3 event; we have been actively involved in discussions with law enforcement and school officials as we were determined to find the details of this situation. The cooperation and coordinated response helped ensure accountability and provided some answers for the families impacted and the safety of the community.”
But Murray warned that arrests alone won’t solve what he called “a core problem”—cannabis products being packaged and marketed in ways that directly appeal to children.
“These arrests are a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t solve the core problem,” said Murray. “Cannabis products being sold in packaging that mimics candy and snacks popular with kids is dangerous, deceptive, and completely unacceptable.”
Murray is sponsoring legislation to address the problem. The bill, paired with a companion measure sponsored by Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio, would ban marketing cannabis products in ways that appeal to minors, mandate clear warning labels on all edible cannabis products, and impose criminal penalties for selling or distributing cannabis to anyone under 21.
William Floyd Board of Education President April Coppola voiced support for the legislation, calling the current packaging and sales practices “a dangerous trend.”
“We are grateful to the police for apprehending the individuals responsible for selling gummies to children within our community,” said Coppola. “We also support the efforts of Senator Murray and Assemblywoman Giglio in prohibiting the deceptive marketing of adult-use cannabis gummies. All too often, the product packaging emulates snacks that are appealing to children; this needs to be addressed quickly before something tragic happens.”
The William Floyd incident comes amid a broader crackdown on illegal cannabis sales in Suffolk. Police say they shut down five unlicensed pot shops and arrested eight people as part of a recent sweep targeting businesses that sell recreational marijuana without a state license—and, in some cases, directly to minors. According to Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina, the enforcement teams visited 44 businesses and found violations at 26 of them.
“Once marijuana was legalized, a bunch of individuals took advantage of that and started to sell, really, with impunity,” Catalina said. More than 15,000 illegal cannabis products and 15,000 flavored vapes were seized.
County Executive Ed Romaine vowed to keep pressure on illegal operations. “We not only padlock their business, but we seize all of their products,” Romaine said. “And the message is, if you’re selling marijuana illegally without a state license, we are going to catch you.”
But critics argue that the state’s legalization effort itself is broken. Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano, who voted against the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021, described New York’s rollout as a “predictable failure.”
He pointed to slow licensing, an explosion of illegal shops, and the state’s inability to regulate the trade. DeStefano also slammed the cannabis equity fund and allowing the Dormitory Authority, traditionally used for building schools and hospitals, to help finance cannabis shops.
“It’s hard to fathom how the state dormitory authority is now a major player in providing mind-altering drugs to students and other users,” he said. “People getting stoned on state-sponsored substances, especially our younger generations, is extremely counterproductive to a healthy, functioning society.”
“We’ve seen what can happen when cannabis gets into the hands of children,” Murray concluded. “This isn’t just about law enforcement—it’s about legislation that makes sure it never happens again.”