Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal
Fourteen students at Algodones Elementary School ate THC-infused candy on Monday, according to a news release from Bernalillo Public Schools.
All students involved were evaluated by medical personnel and are in stable condition, according to the release. Parents were notified.
It’s unclear how old the students are or how much THC they ingested.
At around 1 p.m., the school’s administration was notified that a student had brought in the candies and shared them with classmates.
Superintendent Matthew Montaño told the Santa Fe New Mexican that one of the students reported feeling sick, and that led to the discovery. He said the students were taken to the hospital, where they were examined and released.
Montaño shared a photo of the candy — “green apple sour belts” meant to mimic gummy rolls sold at candy shops — with the newspaper.
The school district says it is cooperating with medical personnel and law enforcement to investigate the incident.
“We will continue to make sure that all students are safe and healthy,” the district wrote. “Like any other school system in New Mexico, we will have to grapple with educating our families, children and staff on what to look for, and how to provide safe environments for our children under this new era of legalization.”
The incident comes days after the sale of recreational marijuana began in New Mexico.
However, this is not the first time this has happened.
In 2018, a fifth-grader at the Albuquerque School of Excellence brought in a box of THC gummies — thinking they were candy — and shared them with friends. The school is a grades 1-12 college prep charter school that emphasizes a STEM curriculum — science, technology, engineering and math.
In that instance, school officials said five students reported feeling “giggly.” The child who brought the gummies from home had eaten five and was the only one who felt sick and dizzy.
At that time, only medical marijuana was legal. It was discovered that the candy belonged to the girl’s grandfather.
