The boy was rushed to the emergency room on Friday night with difficulty breathing, the Corriere del Mezzogiorno said. The boy, whose condition was serious, is now said to be out of danger.
He tested positive for tetrahydrocaabinol, TCH, the chemical compound in caabis that causes its psychological effects.
His parents told police that their son probably ate a piece of hash – caabis resin, which typically comes in a dark-brown block – believing it was chocolate.
Police have opened an investigation. Hash is illegal in Italy, as is marijuana, except for limited medical and religious use.
Despite that fact, some three million kilos of the drug are consumed in Italy each year.