A teenaged student at Evanston Township High School has been charged with possession of cannabis after several students became ill from eating brownies containing a large amount of pot.
Four of the five students who became ill were hospitalized after the Feb. 1 incident. School officials said the 17-year-old student baked the pot brownies and brought them to school.
"It appears the students knew what they were eating," school administrators said in a letter to parents. "Eating drug-laced foods can result in illness and overdoses."
The superintendent's letter urged parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of drug use.
If parents have been talking, the message apparently hasn't been well-received.
One student, who wished to remain anonymous, said "well more than half" of the students at the school are known to use marijuana.
Another student, Jade Carter, said she had heard about the pot brownie incident and was suprised that people got sick, but is "never surprised to hear about kids smoking."
Evanston police continue to investigate the incident. The students face disciplinary sanctions for breaking school rules. If they are athletes or participate in extracurricular activities, additional penalties will apply, officials said.
