3rd Laced-Gummy Worm Arrest Announced

GULFPORT, FL — The Gulfport Police Department has announced the third and final arrest in a case involving marijuana-laced gummy worms that were circulated on the Boca Ciega High School campus on Monday.

According to the police department, a 15-year-old was brought into custody on Wednesday. Two other teens, ages 14 and 15, also face charges in the case that involved seven students and sent five to the hospital. All three of the teens arrested are from St. Petersburg, police say.

The incident that led to the arrests unfolded Monday when a student allegedly brought gummy worms to school that were laced with what field tested positive for marijuana. That student gave gummies to two others, who distributed them to four other kids, the police department wrote in an email to media.

The investigation into the incident kicked off when several students who ate the gummies went to the school’s clinic “complaining of being ill after eating laced gummy worms,” the email said. “An investigation in to the matter revealed that five students consumed edible gummy worms that smelled strongly of marijuana and had a high oily content, consistent with marijuana oil.”

The police department said all five students who ate the worms ultimately ended up in the hospital. Four were taken by ambulance. All five had been released from the hospital by Tuesday morning.

“Apparently the students that consumed the laced gummies were aware that they would receive a "high" from ingesting them,” the email said. “One gummy worm was confiscated by the school resource officers and it tested positive for marijuana during a field presumptive test.”

The confiscated gummy has been sent to a lab for further testing, the police department noted.

While only three students were charged in the case, the others will face consequences at school, police noted.

Patch is not releasing the names of the teens arrested due to their ages.

The Gulfport case prompted police in St. Petersburg to issue a warning Tuesday for parents. THC-laced treats, the agency reported, are also circulating within the city.

Image via Shutterstock

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