A Marion County woman is facing multiple charges following reports of two juveniles testing positive for marijuana (THC) while under her care in her in-home daycare center. Fifty-eight-year-old Tamatha McPherson is facing two felony counts of introducing a controlled substance into the body of another and two felony counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigators were notified in two separate incidents where a two-year-old and a 15-month-old child were reported to the Arkansas State Police Child Abuse Hotline after they tested positive for marijuana.
In the first incident reported on April 3 of this year, the parent of the 2-year-old brought their child to the emergency room after picking them up from daycare with complaints of lethargy, ataxia, weakness, and difficulty rousing. Lab results showed the presence of marijuana in the child’s system. The parents told authorities they had picked up their child from McPherson’s daycare around 1 that afternoon. They stated McPherson did not have permission to give their child any form of medication without consulting them first.
Two days later, on April 5, a second victim was discovered from the same daycare. The parents of a 15-month-old told investigators something was not right when they picked them up from daycare. They said the child looked lethargic, red in the face, and not acting right. The parents said they made an appointment with their pediatrician on April 4, where the child also tested positive for marijuana in their system.
During questioning, McPherson stated she does take THC gummies, and she kept them in the kitchen area where children were located, eating and playing. She told authorities she would buy the gummies in Missouri and bring them back home. According to the report, McPherson runs an in-home daycare with eight children.
McPherson was booked into the Marion County Detention Center. She was released on a $15,000 bond.
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