Miller Creek student treated after eating suspected pot brownie
A Miller Creek Middle School student was taken to the hospital after eating a brownie suspected of containing THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana.
School staff were first alerted to the incident just before students were dismissed for an early afternoon, with parent-teacher conferences scheduled for later that day, said Becky Rosales, superintendent of the Miller Creek School District.
Marin County Sheriff’s deputies first went to the school, on Las Gallinas Avenue in Marinwood, shortly after noon on Nov. 18, according to the agency’s call log.
A “brownie suspected to have THC in it was exchanged between two students,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Brenton Schneider. “One student ingested the brownie and became ill. They were treated at a hospital and released.”
Rosales said that the student’s parent brought the child in for treatment.
Deputies also seized several cupcakes “as part of their investigation and to be tested,” Rosales said. The results of those tests were not available.
It is unclear whether the students knew what was in the brownie. Schneider said this week that the case remained open. District officials did not respond to requests for updates.
School officials sent a note to the school community late Tuesday.
“The student reported that she consumed a baked good provided by a peer that may have been the cause of health implications. Given this information, and in accordance with policy, we contacted law enforcement who are now testing the baked goods, which were gathered by administration,” principal Steve Coyle said in the note to parents.
“Please be assured that we are working with the students and their families as we deal with the facts and subsequent consequences,” he said. “I share this information to assure you that this situation has my full attention, and to clarify that while this incident is indeed concerning, it was not disruptive to campus.”
The school teaches sixth through eighth grades.
While hospitalization for THC intoxication is relatively rare compared to other drugs, Marin County health officials have nevertheless set a goal to decrease marijuana use in teens.
Teen use is significantly higher in Marin than the state average, with 47% of Marin 11th graders – compared to 32% in California – reporting having used marijuana, according to the Marin County Health and Human Services Department.