A South Carolina elementary school teacher was arrested after including cannabis edibles in a student prize box.
According to a Lexington County Sheriff’s Department press release, 27-year-old Victoria Farish Weiss turned herself in on Friday, October 15.
Weiss is charged with possession of a Schedule I narcotic.
According to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon, the department became involved when someone notified them that a student at the Rocky Creek Elementary School had selected a package of cannabis edibles from the reward box Weiss had in her classroom.
“Detectives confirmed during interviews that Weiss took the pack of edibles from the student and told him to pick something else from the box,” says Sheriff Koon. “The student went back to the box and happened to grab another pack of edibles. No student ate any of the products.”
It is currently unclear if Weiss placed the edibles in the box intentionally or by mistake.
According to a WIS-TV report, the student who picked the package of edibles from the prize box later attended an after-school program.
The report states that a teacher at the after-school program noticed that the package was not Sour Patch Kids and contacted the student’s school.
Weiss allegedly was hysterical when her vice principal approached her about the incident.
According to Koon, the Sheriff’s Department searched Weiss’ home the next day and found edible packages similar to the ones the student pulled from the classroom prize box.
“Marijuana edibles are cannabis-based food products,” says Sheriff Koon. “They come in many forms, but the items in this case were candy. They’re often packaged in wrappers and bags with logos and colors that look similar to traditional candy brands. While they are available in other states and online, they’re illegal in South Carolina.”
After her arrest, Weiss was initially held at the Lexington County Detention Center but, according to WIS-TV, she has been released on bond.
According to WIS-TV, Weiss no longer works for Lexington School District One.
