ELLICOTT CITY, Md. -- Three Howard High School students were caught with drug-filled gumballs and have been charged, police said, and more of the gumballs have been discovered in Virginia.
The gumballs are called "greenades." They're stuffed with a greenish brown substance, which forensic experts said is marijuana, and they come professionally wrapped.
Officials from the Maryland State Police forensic lab said they have never seen anything like them, News4's Cheryl Butler reported. The lab recently received the two yellow gumballs, each with a smiley face printed on the side and filled with marijuana.
"There was actual marijuana inside the gumballs," said Sherry Llewellyn of the Howard County Police Department. "It looked like someone had drilled a hole in the back of the gumball and put the marijuana leaves inside."
The gumballs were confiscated at Howard High School in January, but the lab results have just been released.
"This really began with a teacher notifying one of our Howard County police officers stationed at the school that she had seen students exchanging a baggie," Llewellyn said. "It looked suspicious to her. When our officer investigated, she found it was two gumballs stuffed with marijuana."
Two students were charged with drug distribution and suspended from school for at least 45 days. One student was charged with drug possession and suspended for at least 10 days.
"I think this demonstrates to us the lengths kids will go to conceal illegal drugs," Llewellyn said.
School officials said they've never seen the gumball greenades on school property before, but they're prepared to crack down hard on offenders.
"The teacher and resource officer in Howard High School acted quickly and in accordance to how we want people to respond," said Patti Caplan of Howard County Schools. "We don't want drugs in our schools."
Officials said the gumballs came prepackaged in a shiny tinfoil wrapper labeled "greenades" with a tiny marijuana leaf and instructions for use printed there, too. Parents in Howard County said they're concerned the packaging may be alluring.
"It concerns me that the children have the marijuana in the gumballs," Kathy Ecklund said. "It seems to be getting in the schools one way or another."
Howard County police said each gumball contained about one gram of marijuana. The state forensic lab has not determined if the level of THC in the gumballs is lethal, but authorities warned parents to stay on the lookout because the gumballs are dangerous if ingested by kids.
On Saturday, Paul C. Cofer Jr. was arrested and charged with drug possession. Police said he had hundreds of the gumballs with the tops cut off in his apartment.
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