MATTHEWS, N.C. — Marijuana-infused treats were once again found on the campus of a Charlotte-area middle school.
For the second time in two months, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police records show treats infused with marijuana were found at Mint Hill Middle School, located on Idlewild Road in Matthews, North Carolina.
Police records show the first incident happened between December 9 and December 10, when a student brought tainted cookies to the school.
Then, January 22 police records show a student brought a “rice crispy treat spiked with marijuana.”
Further details, such as how the drug-infused treats were discovered, or how many students may have eaten them were listed as ‘confidential,’ on both incident reports.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, who declined to comment, but did say the district offers educational programs under the Student Assistance Program for support with drug-related challenges.
After the incident in January, the school’s principal issued this message to parents:
Good afternoon Mint Hill Middle families. This is principal Drye calling to provide you with some information. Last week, a student was found with an illegal substance. Please, speak with your children about bringing inappropriate items to school. When a student brings an inappropriate item to school they will be disciplined according to the Code of Student Conduct. Thank you for your involvement at Mint Hill Middle.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with parents outside the school, who say the incidents on campus are scary.
“You don’t know, you have no idea where these kids are getting it from so it’s really scary," said Ashley Torrence, who was picking up her boyfriend’s child. "You don’t want your child to think its normal, because it keeps happening."
Doctors warn that eating edibles can be more dangerous than smoking marijuana, especially for children. They say when eating it, it takes one to three hours for your body to process the drug, and kids may eat more thinking the drug isn’t working, and could even accidentally overdose.
In states like Colorado where marijuana is legal, hospital ER’s have been reporting spikes in ER visits related to the drug. In Denver, officials say roughly 11% of ER visits were due to edibles, with patient symptoms including repeated vomiting and psychotic episodes.
Doctors also warn that when marijuana-infused treats -- including brownies or cookies -- are made at home, there’s no way to tell how much marijuana oil was used, or how potent the treat will be.
“I think it should be more controlled in terms of what kids are eating at school and what kids can bring into school to eat,” said grandmother, Mindell Penn.