Vermont housekeepers hospitalized after mistakenly eating marijuana edibles, police say

The housekeepers did not realize that the chocolates contained marijuana, police said. (iStock)

Two housekeepers in Vermont were hospitalized Wednesday after they unknowingly ate marijuana edibles that were left behind by guests at Shelburne Farms, police said.

The housekeepers, who have not been identified, decided to taste what they believed to be malted milk balls placed in a box labeled “salted caramel chocolates,” Shelburne police told the Burlington Free Press.

Shortly after, both employees fell ill -- one of whom was so sick she was found “lying in the inn’s driveway,” the newspaper reported.

"They certainly weren't in any shape to work," Officer Joshua Flore with the Shelburne Police Department told the Burlington Free Press of the women, adding that there was no indication on the box that the chocolates contained marijuana.

The guests who left the edibles will not face charges, Flore said.

“Two employees at the Inn at Shelburne Farms fell ill this morning after ingesting something that came from outside of Shelburne Farms. They have been taken to the hospital and we hope they will make a full recovery soon. We are doing our best to be careful about protecting the privacy of our employees,” the inn said in a statement to the Burlington Free Press.

The employees’ conditions are currently unclear.

Starting July 1, adults 21 years or older can possess small amounts of marijuana in Vermont. Flore called the incident at Shelburne Farms a “big lesson,” warning residents to keep it away from children and pets.