St. Charles middle school students, staff member sent home after eating marijuana chocolates

One staff member and 12 students ate chocolate laced with marijuana Friday while at Wredling Middle School in St. Charles and were sent home, St. Charles Unit District 303 spokesman Scott Harvey confirmed Monday.

A student at the school passed out chocolates as part of a "spicy chocolate challenge."

An employee confiscated the remaining chocolate from the student.

Harvey said school officials opened an investigation with the school resource officer, who tested the chocolate and found traces of marijuana.

Harvey said students who ate the chocolate were sent to the school nurse, and their parents were contacted to pick them up. The staff member traveled home by a ride-share service.

"Most of the individuals who ingested the substance experienced (no effects) or mild levels of impairment, and there were no injuries sustained," Harvey said in an email.

Those who ate the chocolates did not know they contained marijuana, Harvey said in an email Tuesday morning.