Chicago Area Elementary School Freaks Out Over Cannabis, Institutes Crazy Lunch Rule

South Loop Elementary School, near Chicago, recently sent a letter home to parents announcing a new rule around school lunches brought from home. As reported on CBS2 Chicago, many parents were outraged when they received the notice, stating that only store-bought, prepackaged foods would be allowed in lunches. The notice said, in part, “This policy will eliminate the risk for any students accidently bringing in cannabis-infused food items to school.”

Their effort to reduce the “risk” of cannabis-infused products being brought to school was to ban from lunches anything not store-bought, and in single-serve packaging. So, under the new rule, a bag of chips sealed by the manufacturer would be fine, but chips in a zip baggie would not be allowed, for example. For that matter, the ubiquitous PB&J so many elementary school kids bring for lunch daily would no longer be allowed.

After several parents expressed their strong disapproval of the new rules and a petition was started, the school walked back their policy, allowing items like chips and sandwiches in zipper bags in lunches.