Parents arrested after suspected THC candy sickens students at Moorhead school

Suspected THC candy at Horizon Middle School sent about 10 students to the nurse and then into a police investigation that ended with two Moorhead parents in jail.

Moorhead police said the incident unfolded at the school at about 12:40 p.m. Monday, May 18, when several students became ill after eating candy brought in by another student. Two students were taken to a medical facility for evaluation, while the others were released to parents or guardians. Officers later said the candy is believed to have contained THC.

By Wednesday, May 20, police arrested Martin Jay Hulst, 40, and Amanda Rhae Hulst, 43, after serving a search warrant at their home in the 1100 block of 10½ Street North in Moorhead. Investigators said they found suspected THC products, including flower, cartridges and wax, along with psychedelic mushrooms and a large amount of cash. Both adults were charged with felony first-degree controlled substance offenses and booked into Clay County Jail.

Police also said multiple juveniles living in the home were referred to Clay County Social Services. The case remains active, and investigators said the students involved were not cooperative, limiting how much additional information they could gather about how the candy reached school and who handled it before classmates ate it.

The episode has put a sharper focus on student safety and the risks of unknown food or candy entering classrooms, hallways and lunchrooms. Moorhead Police Chief Chris Helmick and Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Brandon Lunak both urged parents to talk with children about not accepting candy, food or drinks from other students or anyone else unless the source is known. The message is simple: if a child eats something unfamiliar and then suddenly becomes ill, the school and family need to treat it as an immediate health concern.

School leaders also said this was the second drug-related incident at Horizon Middle School during the 2025-26 school year. In December, a student was arrested after bringing 1,500 fentanyl pills to the school, underscoring how quickly controlled substances can become a classroom emergency and how much pressure families and schools are under to stop them before students are harmed.