San Diego

SDUSD Looking Into Reports of Tainted Marijuana Sickening Students

Tainted marijuana may be to blame for a recent rash of illness felt by some in the San Diego community, including some high school students.

A spokeswoman for the San Diego Unified School District told NBC 7 that two University City High School (UCHS) students were sick at school Friday with common symptoms.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue (SDFD) Department told NBC 7 that one of those students went to the nurse’s office and was going in and out of consciousness while having trouble seeing. She was taken to the hospital.

It’s still not confirmed that tainted marijuana is what got the students sick, but SDFD told the UCHS principal that there have been a number of people in the community getting sick after smoking a substance tied to tainted marijuana.

The district said it was looking into that possibility. Meanwhile, the principal sent out a letter to students and parents Friday to let them know what was going on.

Lisa Rico was head to her son’s football game in Imperial Beach when she got the email. She said she had to double take.

“You have to be careful,” Rico said. “Speak to your kids, talk to their friends.”

It was a shock to parent Cynthia Papa, too. She said the subject matter of that email was unlike any she had ever seen. She, too, was planning on talking to her boy after the game.

The San Diego Police Department didn't know anything about the recent tainted marijuana cases. NBC 7 also reached out to Scripps La Jolla Hospital where one of the victims was taken to see if they have seen an uptick in patients potentially sick from tainted marijuana but has not heard back.

The principal told parents in that email that some of the common symptoms among victims is an upset stomach, fatigue, sweating and nausea.

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