THC edible package found in backpack during search at Lancaster High School

LANCASTER, S.C. — A little over a year after marijuana-infused edibles were found at a Lancaster County school, the district is again warning parents to keep an eye out for edibles after a recent search turned up a new package with even more THC than last time.

According to the Lancaster County School District this week, a drug-sniffing dog alerted on campus at Lancaster High School. Investigators then found a package of marijuana-infused Doritos tortilla chips inside a student’s backpack.

While the label is nearly identical to an actual bag of Doritos, the package has markings indicating that it was originally manufactured in California for the marijuana market. The back of the pouch specifically says, “This package contains cannabis, a Schedule I controlled substance.”

The package also says that there’s a single serving of the edibles inside, with an average of 600 milligrams of THC, which is the main psychoactive substance in cannabis. For perspective, the California Department of Public Health requires that edibles contain no more than 10 milligrams of THC per serving, which exceptions for medical use.

This isn’t the first time the district has raised the issue. Last April, school leaders sounded the alarm after a THC-infused peanut butter & jelly sandwich was found during a drug and weapons scan at a school. That edible was an imitation of Smuckers’ Uncrustables PB&J sandwiches, but its label said it had 100 milligrams of THC.

According to the district, the edible had been eaten before the package was discovered.

The district sent a note to parents calling on them to “familiarize” themselves with the concerns after the Doritos package was discovered. The district also pointed to the laced PB&J sandwich incident and added that there’s been an uptick of THC vape cartridges being used “among the teen population.”

“We encourage you to monitor your kids closely as these are easily camouflaged as everyday household snacks,” the district said. “We in the school system have to be aware that kids could literally be getting impaired sitting in a cafeteria eating a lunch.”

While some edibles are legally available for sale in South Carolina and North Carolina, these types of Delta 9 THC-laced edibles from California are illegal in the Carolinas.

Channel 9 spoke to Dr. Deborah Powers, a registered pharmacist, who said that the trend is alarming.

“Basically they are ingesting a drug. Just like we know alcohol before certain ages impairs brain function and cognitive development, so does THC,” Powers said.

The district didn’t say if anyone was taken into custody or charged after the edibles package was found.

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