POTENT POT

Tests have confirmed potent pot is to blame for two high school
students falling ill after smoking a joint before class on Monday morning.

Kamloops RCMP Sgt. Scott Wilson said the tests, performed at Royal
Inland Hospital, showed no drugs other than THC present in the systems
of the 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl. Paramedics were called to
a local high school around 9:30 a.m. for what were thought to be
possible drug overdoses.

The students were experiencing stomach sickness and shortness of
breath and drifting in and out of consciousness.

The marijuana was originally thought to have been laced with a more
noxious substance, but it turns out high levels of THC, the active
ingredient in marijuana, are to blame.

"There is a higher THC level in marijuana today than there was five
years ago," Wilson said.

"Every time you smoke a marijuana cigarette, you don't know what the
outcome is going to be."

School District 73 assistant superintendent Ross Spina said the board
takes drug infractions seriously.

Spina said the two students who fell ill will likely face
suspensions.

"Do we take it seriously when a student walks through the doors under
the influence? Yes we do," he said.

"There's always disciplinary action that follows."

Spina said he hopes he never sees anything like it
again.

"This is something, obviously, I'd hope never happens again," he said.
"It just goes to show you, what you hope and what happens are
sometimes two different things."

The students have been released from RIH and a meeting later this week
will likely determine whether they will face suspensions.

Wilson said they will not likely face criminal charges.