Elementary Students from Key Taken to Hospital After Eating Edibles at School

[Anonymous]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/04/05/gummies-dc-students-key-elementary-school/

[Anonymous]

the public health community has thus far been silent about the risk to kids of marijuana candy.

This is false.

Many states have strict rules about edible packaging.

Blame Congress that DC doesn't.

[Anonymous]

This is just sad. The letter said they will address it via restorative justice. What about holding the careless adult(s) liable?

[Anonymous]

Any tips for talking to kids about this? I don’t want my child scared to share candy offered by a close friend.

[Anonymous]

Can someone with kids at Key provide any details? What is the school telling parents? And what do parents think really happened?

[Anonymous]

I clicked just to find out ages. If they were 2nd graders I could buy the "thought it was candy" line but not 5th graders. They 100% knew what it was, wanted to try it and got scared when it hit.

Parents still need to be much more careful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

the public health community has thus far been silent about the risk to kids of marijuana candy.

This is false.

Many states have strict rules about edible packaging.

Blame Congress that DC doesn't.

DC could absolutely have a rule. They have broad consumer protection authority and could shut down the “gifting”
shops that sell it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I clicked just to find out ages. If they were 2nd graders I could buy the "thought it was candy" line but not 5th graders. They 100% knew what it was, wanted to try it and got scared when it hit.

Parents still need to be much more careful.

The pot gummies look exactly like candy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

the public health community has thus far been silent about the risk to kids of marijuana candy.

This is false.

Many states have strict rules about edible packaging.

Blame Congress that DC doesn't.

DC could absolutely have a rule. They have broad consumer protection authority and could shut down the “gifting”
shops that sell it.

How? The people voted that possession and gifting be legal. Congress decided it could not be regulated.

[Anonymous]

I have a kid at Key. The parents of the kids involved seem to believe the kids genuinely thought they were eating candy. This seems unlikely to me given the kids’ ages but I don’t have a 5th grader. This is an excerpt from an email we received from the administration.


“At Key, we highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where students are safe and secure. A large part of that commitment is communicating safety issues with parents when they arise.

It was brought to the administration team’s attention that a student brought gummies containing an unidentified controlled substance to school and shared them with several other students in the 5th grade. Earlier today, students began to feel unwell and subsequently went to the nurse’s suite for evaluation. Due to the severity of illness, DC Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) was called to further assess the students, at which time it was determined the symptoms presented aligned with ingestion of a controlled substance.

The families of all students involved in this incident were immediately contacted, and five students were transported to the hospital for continued monitoring. All health and safety protocols have been followed including cooperation with DC FEMs and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

As we work with the DC Public Schools Student Supports Division and our school-based mental health team to hold age-appropriate conversations around substance use awareness and prevention with our 5th grade students, we will also be prioritizing restorative practice in relation to this incident. In partnership, we ask that you please take a moment to remind your child(ren) that they should never ingest any unknown foods or substances, even if a friend or acquaintance offers it.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at Key. The parents of the kids involved seem to believe the kids genuinely thought they were eating candy. This seems unlikely to me given the kids’ ages but I don’t have a 5th grader. This is an excerpt from an email we received from the administration.


“At Key, we highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where students are safe and secure. A large part of that commitment is communicating safety issues with parents when they arise.

It was brought to the administration team’s attention that a student brought gummies containing an unidentified controlled substance to school and shared them with several other students in the 5th grade. Earlier today, students began to feel unwell and subsequently went to the nurse’s suite for evaluation. Due to the severity of illness, DC Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) was called to further assess the students, at which time it was determined the symptoms presented aligned with ingestion of a controlled substance.

The families of all students involved in this incident were immediately contacted, and five students were transported to the hospital for continued monitoring. All health and safety protocols have been followed including cooperation with DC FEMs and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

As we work with the DC Public Schools Student Supports Division and our school-based mental health team to hold age-appropriate conversations around substance use awareness and prevention with our 5th grade students, we will also be prioritizing restorative practice in relation to this incident. In partnership, we ask that you please take a moment to remind your child(ren) that they should never ingest any unknown foods or substances, even if a friend or acquaintance offers it.”

Did they say anything about holding the adults responsible for not keeping track of their controlled substance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at Key. The parents of the kids involved seem to believe the kids genuinely thought they were eating candy. This seems unlikely to me given the kids’ ages but I don’t have a 5th grader. This is an excerpt from an email we received from the administration.


“At Key, we highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where students are safe and secure. A large part of that commitment is communicating safety issues with parents when they arise.

It was brought to the administration team’s attention that a student brought gummies containing an unidentified controlled substance to school and shared them with several other students in the 5th grade. Earlier today, students began to feel unwell and subsequently went to the nurse’s suite for evaluation. Due to the severity of illness, DC Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) was called to further assess the students, at which time it was determined the symptoms presented aligned with ingestion of a controlled substance.

The families of all students involved in this incident were immediately contacted, and five students were transported to the hospital for continued monitoring. All health and safety protocols have been followed including cooperation with DC FEMs and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

As we work with the DC Public Schools Student Supports Division and our school-based mental health team to hold age-appropriate conversations around substance use awareness and prevention with our 5th grade students, we will also be prioritizing restorative practice in relation to this incident. In partnership, we ask that you please take a moment to remind your child(ren) that they should never ingest any unknown foods or substances, even if a friend or acquaintance offers it.”

I have a fifth grader at Key. The children genuinely did not know they were eating edibles. They are really sweet kids. This is a really sad situation for all involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at Key. The parents of the kids involved seem to believe the kids genuinely thought they were eating candy. This seems unlikely to me given the kids’ ages but I don’t have a 5th grader. This is an excerpt from an email we received from the administration.


“At Key, we highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where students are safe and secure. A large part of that commitment is communicating safety issues with parents when they arise.

It was brought to the administration team’s attention that a student brought gummies containing an unidentified controlled substance to school and shared them with several other students in the 5th grade. Earlier today, students began to feel unwell and subsequently went to the nurse’s suite for evaluation. Due to the severity of illness, DC Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) was called to further assess the students, at which time it was determined the symptoms presented aligned with ingestion of a controlled substance.

The families of all students involved in this incident were immediately contacted, and five students were transported to the hospital for continued monitoring. All health and safety protocols have been followed including cooperation with DC FEMs and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

As we work with the DC Public Schools Student Supports Division and our school-based mental health team to hold age-appropriate conversations around substance use awareness and prevention with our 5th grade students, we will also be prioritizing restorative practice in relation to this incident. In partnership, we ask that you please take a moment to remind your child(ren) that they should never ingest any unknown foods or substances, even if a friend or acquaintance offers it.”

I have a fifth grader at Key. The children genuinely did not know they were eating edibles. They are really sweet kids. This is a really sad situation for all involved.

I hope the kids are ok. And I hope the Key PTA leads the way in the fight to outlaw pot packaged as candy/snacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they were sixth graders I have no doubt they knew what they were trying. Scary stuff

Key goes through 5th. I seriously doubt they did it on purpose.

Ok wow. You are in denial if you think kids this age aren’t experimenting with drugs and alcohol. They are and scary as it might be to you, talking to kids this age about it frankly and letting them
Know the dangers of taking pills, alcohol, edibles from anyone (even a friend) is super dangerous.

I had a 5th grader at Key last year. No, there was absolutely no experimenting with drugs or even alcohol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at Key. The parents of the kids involved seem to believe the kids genuinely thought they were eating candy. This seems unlikely to me given the kids’ ages but I don’t have a 5th grader. This is an excerpt from an email we received from the administration.


“At Key, we highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where students are safe and secure. A large part of that commitment is communicating safety issues with parents when they arise.

It was brought to the administration team’s attention that a student brought gummies containing an unidentified controlled substance to school and shared them with several other students in the 5th grade. Earlier today, students began to feel unwell and subsequently went to the nurse’s suite for evaluation. Due to the severity of illness, DC Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) was called to further assess the students, at which time it was determined the symptoms presented aligned with ingestion of a controlled substance.

The families of all students involved in this incident were immediately contacted, and five students were transported to the hospital for continued monitoring. All health and safety protocols have been followed including cooperation with DC FEMs and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

As we work with the DC Public Schools Student Supports Division and our school-based mental health team to hold age-appropriate conversations around substance use awareness and prevention with our 5th grade students, we will also be prioritizing restorative practice in relation to this incident. In partnership, we ask that you please take a moment to remind your child(ren) that they should never ingest any unknown foods or substances, even if a friend or acquaintance offers it.”

Did they say anything about holding the adults responsible for not keeping track of their controlled substance?

That’s not the job of the school; it’s the job of the police.

These parents are idiots.