A high school in Colorado, one of the first two U.S. states to legalize recreational marijuana use, was put on partial lockdown Friday after a student's weed pipe filled a classroom with pot smoke, the school said.
The smoke from the device, known as a "gravity bong" or "bucket," was released into a classroom at about 9:45 a.m. at Adams City High School in Commerce City, a northeastern suburb of Denver.
"As a precautionary measure, our students were placed on a modified lockdown to limit movement throughout the school," the school said in a statement, adding that teenagers who had been near the device were examined by medical personnel.
"As always, students' safety is our No. 1 priority," it said. "All students were fine and the school is resuming business as usual."
The school said it is working with the proper authorities to resolve the issue, and that it will provide more information when available. It did not release any details about the student who brought the pipe to class, nor about any possible disciplinary measures.
Colorado voted in 2012 to allow recreational marijuana sales to adults aged 21 and older beginning this year. But consumption of the drug by minors, or by anyone in public settings such as schools, parks and on the street, remains illegal.
The tale of the partial lockdown received widespread attention on social media, with some Denver residents describing it as the story of the day and an "only in Colorado" moment.
A gravity bong or bucket uses the force of gravity, normally by releasing water from a chamber, to suck a large amount of pot smoke into a container, from where it is inhaled by the user.
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