Wichita, Maize students hospitalized, sent home sick after eating edibles, officials say

A Maize South High School student was hospitalized and three students at Stucky Middle School in Wichita were sent home ill after eating edibles, officials said.

Both incidents happened Tuesday.

At Stucky, a student brought edibles from home and shared them with two other students. The three students then went home ill.

“The students will face disciplinary action,” spokesperson Susan Arensman said.

The edibles presumably contain THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

Incidents of children eating edibles, which can often look like candy, have been on the rise in recent years as more and more states have legalized marijuana. A study released earlier this year found cases of children under the age of 6 eating edibles has skyrocketed in recent years, going from 207 cases in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021.

Marijuana is not legal in Kansas.

Students have gotten sick and even hospitalized after taking edibles at Wichita schools in multiple incidents this year. Arensman and Maize spokesperson Lori Buselt did not answer questions about how often these incidents with students having edibles happen.

If you think your child has swallowed an edible or something else potentially harmful, you can contact Poison Control at 800-222-1222 or go to poison.org. Someone is available at all times. The website also has more information about edibles.

This story was originally published November 2, 2023 at 1:15 PM.