More details revealed on mother’s arrest in THC gummy case

GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — A mother is behind bars after her children allegedly overdosed on THC gummies.

43-year-old Candice Hickson was arrested and booked into the Gibson County jail on November 30, according to records available online.

An affidavit states that on November 28, deputies with the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence on the 300 block of Trenton Highway in response to a possible overdose — this after a caller advised that her children had consumed an unknown amount of her THCA gummies.

Upon arrival, deputies made contact with the caller — identified as Hickson — and observed that her two children, ages 2 and 4, were unresponsive.

The affidavit states that Hickson told deputies “when she went into the bathroom her children were able to reach her THCA product.”

According to the affidavit, the Looper brand gummies that were consumed contain Delta-9, HHC, and Delta-8 — a product illegal in Tennessee for anyone under 21.

According to District Attorney General Frederick Agee, both children were taken to Le Bonheur Hospital in Memphis, where they were treated and released within 48 hours. The children have since been placed in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.

Hickson has been charged with child neglect or endangerment, and currently remains in custody at the time of this report on a $25,000 bond. Records indicate that she’s due to appear in Gibson County General Sessions Court for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on December 16.

We reached out to District Attorney General Frederick Agee for a statement on this incident; see the response below:

Our Office is prosecuting the defendant, Candice Hickson, for Child Neglect and Endangerment, due to her two children, both under 8 years of age, ingesting THC Hemp gummies, which are legal for adults 21 years old or older. The children were taken to Le Bonheur Hospital in Memphis, where they were treated and released within 48 hours. Both children have been placed in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, due to Ms. Hickson failing a drug screen for Methamphetamine.

“We believe Ms. Hickson has substance abuse issues as demonstrated by her failed drug screen for Meth, which is highly addictive and poses much more danger than Hemp or Marijuana in our communities. Our Office will prosecute this case within the letter of the law, balancing the need to help Ms. Hickson get treatment for her addiction, so that she can eventually reunite with her children in a safe environment.

Although we take any case where children are harmed very seriously, we are unaware of any incident in Tennessee or the U.S. where a child, teenager, or adult has died solely from consuming legal Hemp THC gummies. However, this is a cautionary reminder to parents to secure legal substances that might cause adverse reactions away from their children, especially those drugs with more potent and addictive effects like Oxycodone, Xanax, Hydrocodone, and other opioids.”

-Frederick H. Agee
District Attorney General, 28th Judicial District
Gibson, Crockett, and Haywood Counties

*Disclaimer: As in all cases, individuals accused of crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

See the release issued by the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office below:

On November 28, 2025, Deputies were dispatched to 362 Trenton Milan Highway, Milan, TN, for a possible overdose. Upon arriving Deputies were met by Candice Hickson and Ms. Hickson stated to Deputies that her two minor children, ages 4 and 2, had eaten some of her THC gummies that she had in the bathroom. These particular gummies were legally purchased by Ms. Hickson, but are illegal for minor consumption. The children were unresponsive when Deputies arrived and it was undetermined as to how many gummies the children had consumed. The children were transported to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis for care. Hickson was charged with Child Abuse and Endangerment and she is currently incarcerated at the Gibson County Correctional Complex under a $25,000.00 bond. Her initial court appearance will be December 16, 2025, in Trenton General Sessions Court. This case needs to serve as a reminder, that although certain THC gummies are legal to be purchased in TN, by adults, they can be dangerous. Regardless of what the labelling on the product states the amount of THC is in the product, it can be incorrectly reported to the consumer. These products need to be treated as all medicine and kept locked up and out of reach of children.

Sheriff Paul Thomas

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