Eleven Elementary Students Hospitalized After Eating ‘Drug-Laced Cookies’

Eleven students at Fort Dearborn Elementary School in Chicago were hospitalized Tuesday after eating cookies laced with marijuana, officials told CBS News.

Newsweek reached out to Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Chicago Police Department for comment via email on Wednesday.

Why It Matters

Edible cannabis products present a growing health threat to children due to their appearance, packaging, and potent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations. Often resembling popular snacks such as candy, chips, or baked goods, these products appeal to young children and are frequently stored in ways that make accidental ingestion easy.

Children exposed to cannabis edibles may experience symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness, rapid heart rate, confusion, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, hallucinations or seizures. The National Capital Poison Center notes that younger children, especially those under 10, are more likely to require hospital admission due to the severity of their reactions

A national study published in Pediatrics in February 2023 of cannabis edible exposures among children reported over 7,000 incidents in kids under 6 between 2017 and 2021, with nearly a quarter of those cases requiring hospitalization.

What To Know

On Tuesday, around 2 p.m. local time, 11 students were taken to the hospital after eating cookies from a classmate that were laced.

“We believe our community member may have ingested the unknown substance in the form of ‘edibles,’ which are food or drinks that are made with cannabis or other prohibited substances,” principal Kimberly Porter said in an email to parents obtained by Newsweek.

Ambulances were seen outside the school on Tuesday afternoon. Police said 22 students ingested edibles containing THC. Of those 22 pupils, 11 needed medical attention, CBS reported. The children affected were between 11 and 14 years old, a source told local outlet WGN-TV.

Edibles often contain THC-infused oils that prolong psychoactive effects, and children can experience disproportionately stronger symptoms compared to adults due to their size.

Local Fox 21 News reported that many parents weren’t aware of what was happening until school staff members informed them a student had passed out cookies to a group of kids who then got sick.

What People Are Saying

Ethel Allen, a Fort Dearborn Elementary parent, told CBS: “I really would like to know where they actually got the products from because it’s not easily accessible like you can just go to the corner store and they’re going to give it to a child, so it has to be an adult somewhere involved.”

Kimberly Porter, principal of Fort Dearborn Elementary School, told parents in an email obtained by Newsweek: “Safety is always my top priority, which is why I am writing to notify you of a situation impacting our school. Earlier today, we were made aware that a few members of our school community had ingested an unknown substance. We immediately provided support to our impacted community members and notified their parents and the CPS Office of Safety and Security. While I cannot provide further details for privacy reasons, I can share that we are handling this matter in accordance with CPS policies … Prohibited substances of any kind are not allowed at our school, and we encourage you to take this opportunity to have a conversation with your child about the health risks associated with consuming edibles, and to remind them not to accept food if they do not know where it came from.”

Pediatrician Sarah Ann Anderson assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, said in 2023: “As legalization and liberalization of cannabis laws spread nationwide, we have seen increased rates of accidental ingestion of edible cannabis products in children,”