BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – A teacher at Birmingham Seaholm High School became ill Wednesday after ingesting a suspected marijuana cookie he received from a student, according to a release from the city of Birmingham.
Marijuana-laced brownies, cookies and other snacks have been around for years, but it was new information to parents Friday that an 18-year-old student at the school had given an English teacher a cookie laced with marijuana.
The teacher became ill shortly after eating the cookie. He was briefly hospitalized and is now recuperating at home.
The school sent an email saying there had been an incident of food tampering, but never mentioned the drug.
Investigators have interviewed the 18-year-old student suspected of giving the cookie to the teacher.
Dr. Lawrence Dell, a physician at Lakes Urgent Care, didn't treat the teacher but said edible marijuana can have far worse side effects than smoking a joint because of how the drug is absorbed.
"You're getting a much bigger dose over a longer period of time, so you could be absorbing it for three or four days on a brownie or cookie," said Dell. "It's like someone who never drank alcohol all of a sudden drank a fifth of whiskey."
Police are waiting for a toxicology report from the hospital before submitting the case to the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office for possible charges.
If the student is convicted of tampering with food, the felony could carry up to 10 years behind bars.