Staff at a Bangor day care said they felt high on Wednesday after eating a batch of suspected marijuana-laced cookies dropped off by a parent, according to police.
None of the children at Watch Me Shine day care at 28 Gilman Plaza ate the cookies, which are being tested to see “whether they have been tainted with anything at all, to include marijuana,” said to Bangor Sgt. Wade Betters.
Police have identified the parent but declined to release his or her name without yet knowing if the cookies were laced, and Betters would not comment on whether the parent had any idea his or her cookies would make the day care staff feel high.
That parents dropped a few batches of the homemade cookies off on Wednesday morning for the day care’s staff to enjoy, Betters said.
Around 9:30 a.m., a staff member called 911 after several of his or her colleagues reported “a feeling of marijuana intoxication,” he said.
When police arrived, they seized the remaining cookies to test them for drugs, which could take several days or weeks, Betters said.
Any charges that could follow will hinge on whether those tests come back positive, he said.
“If we can prove that a crime was committed here, the person exposes himself to a tremendous amount of liability – drug furnishing, assault, reckless conduct, things of that nature,” Betters said, adding that supplying an illegal drug to someone without their knowledge is illegal.
The day care closed for the day after police arrived, and officers worked to help notify parents about the suspected pot cookies, Betters said.
He did not know how many staff members reported feeling high and whether any sought medical treatment. As for the cookies, he wasn’t sure what kind they were, but said it might be a “safe bet” that the parent brought in “goodies” for Valentines Day.
Maine voters legalized the personal recreational use of marijuana in 2016, but the law prohibits pot consumption inside a day care during its hours of operation.
“Schools — most elementary [and] secondary education facilities, and day cares are usually included in that as well — are usually drug free zones,” Betters added. “So any drug crime that takes places around their property, generally within 1,000 feet of the footprint of the building, can elevate the trafficking and furnishing crimes.”
This story appears through a partnership with the Bangor Daily News.