Stoughton school calls shelters-in-place after students ingest THC

Stoughton High School weathered an “unusual” number of shelter-in-place calls Tuesday following reports that students had consumed THC marijuana edibles, according to school officials.

The three separate shelter-in-place orders allowed emergency medical personnel to quickly reach individuals in need of assistance, Principal Ryan Augusta explained in a letter to families, students, and staff. 

“Some of today’s calls were medical needs unrelated to one another, the kind of thing that can happen in any school on any day,” Augusta said. “Others, unfortunately, were our response to reports and concerns that students had consumed THC edibles, commonly sold as gummies.” 

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main active chemical in cannabis that causes a “high.” 

Classes continued as planned Tuesday despite the shelter-in-place orders, and Augusta praised students for handling each call with “patience and maturity.” His statement did not say how many students consumed edibles, and a Stoughton Public Schools spokesperson declined to release specific numbers, citing student privacy.

“Out of respect for everyone involved, I will not be sharing details about who required assistance or why,” Augusta wrote in his letter. “I ask students and families to extend that same respect. These are our classmates and neighbors, and they are entitled to privacy on what was a hard day for them.” 

He asked families to talk with their students and offered a reminder that cannabis edibles may have a delayed effect that can lead to accidental overconsumption, with potentially serious side effects.

“Items sold or passed between students are frequently far more potent than labeled, and in some cases contain substances other than THC entirely,” Augusta noted. 

The legal age of recreational cannabis consumption in Massachusetts is 21, and Augusta said Stoughton High School’s student code of conduct addresses underage possession or use. 

“We will handle that side of it,” he said. “But a student’s health comes first, always.”

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between. She has been covering the Lindsay Clancy murder case since January 2023.