Poly High Pot Brownies Lead to Raid and Arrests

An ill Poly High student's marijuana brownie has led to a classroom raid and the arrests of several students--and the man who allegedly purchased the pot brownies from a Long Beach dispensary, police said Monday.

Guy Givens, 48, was arrested on four felonies and misdemesanor related to selling marijuana to a minor, and possessing marijuana for sale, and remains at the Los Angeles County Jail, said Long Beach police spokeswoman Lisa Massacani. She said bail was set at $70,000, but she was not immediately certain whether the purchase from the dispensary was illegal (meaning he had a medical prescription for the marijuana).

The story unfolded 11 days ago, March 23, when a 15-year-old student was escorted to the Poly High nurse about 8:00 a.m. that Friday morning after falling ill, Massacani said. She wasn't certain what exact illness befell him but she said he was disoriented and behaved erratically. A Long Beach police officer assigned to the campus arrived about 8:45 p.m. and the ill studen was taken by Long Beach Fire Department paramedics to a hospital. He was evaluated and released, Massacani said.

Police and school officials learned that the teen had eaten a marijuana-dosed brownie that he'd purchased from another 15-year-old student--call  him teen 2--and the student seller had allegedly purchased several from Givens the night before. Teen 2 was located in a classroom, searched and arrested for possession of marijuana for sale, a felony, police said.

The investigation that day led to a 15-year-old female, who appeared under the influence after allegedly eating one of the weed-laced brownies, and due to a lack of evidence, was released to her parents, Massacani said. A 16-year-old male was also found in possession of marijuana.

Most of the students were originally taken into custody and those who had consumed or were in possession of marijuana were cited for misdemeanor under the influence, and then released, Massacani said.

Coordinating among police drug, patrol and K-9 units, and the Long Beach Unified School District and board, a search was conducted the following week--last week--on the Poly High campus. Seven classrooms were randomly searched, Massacani said.

Two students were allegedly found in possession of marijuana, one of whom was also allegedly carrying a box cutter, which Massacani was not certain was a felony. Another two students were also found with marijuana and drug paraphenalia, cited for a misdemeanor possession and released. The amount of illegal drug defines many charges, and detectives were not immediately available to ask.

Names of juveniles usually are not released by police or by journalists. But Massacani said the school district has or will discipline the students. Long Beach Unified could not be reached for comment Monday late afternoon.

"The LBPD, Board of Education, and the Long Beach Unified School District work together in conducting searches routinely in an effort to keep drugs and other illegal items off school grounds, and to take appropriate action against those that threaten the well-being of minors in our city," the police release read.

Anyone with any information about this incident or any other case involving juveniles should contact the LBPD Youth Services Section at (562) 570-1425. Anonymous tips can be sent via text or web by visiting www.tipsoft.com.