11 students sickened, taken to hospital after eating marijuana edibles at school

By Charlie De Mar, Adam Harrington, Joshua Hernandez

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Eleven students were taken to the hospital from an elementary school on Chicago’s South Side Tuesday afternoon.

The students got sick just after 2 p.m. at Fort Dearborn Elementary School, at 9025 S. Throop St. in the Brainerd neighborhood.

Police said 22 students ingested an unknown substance. Chicago Public Schools officials confirmed the pupils ate marijuana-infused “edibles.”

“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,” Fort Dearborn principal Kimberly Porter wrote in a letter to parents.

Police scanner audio suggests that the students were between 11 and 14 years old, and that they all reported to have eaten a cookie.

Several ambulances were called to the school. The Chicago Fire Department said 11 students were taken to the hospital this afternoon. All were reported in good condition.

CBS News Chicago spoke to parents who showed up at dismissal. They were understandably upset, and left with a whole bunch of questions.

“I feel sorry, more concerned, because why do children feel the need to ingest anything they shouldn’t have? What’s going on? What’s going on?” said Ethel Allen, the mother of a Fort Dearborn student. “It probably was a mistake, but you have to be careful what you leave out and have around your children. Parents, please pay attention. That’s all I have to say.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.