California police warned parents about Halloween candy look-alike consumables that contain cannabis, as they resemble popular kids' snacks, such as Cheetos and Skittles.
The executive director of Shasta County Chemical People, Betty Cunningham, emphasized the potential dangers of the cannabis-laced products. She said that the THC levels of these look-alike candies are so high that even adults would normally only take half a gummy.
Cannabis-Laden Candy Look-Alikes
This poses a risk as children typically try to eat as many gummies as they can after they go trick-or-treating on Halloween. Cunningham added that most of the time, these THC-laced products are not tampered with, but argued that licensed products are usually designed to attract kids.
She also advised parents to be aware and diligently check their kids' candies for cannabis warning labels. Parents should also be very careful about where they store products that contain cannabis so that children are not able to access them, according to KRCRTV.
Cunningham added that in the case children do ingest look-alike candies that contain cannabis, parents should seek immediate medical attention. She said, "Get them to medical care. You don't want to decide whether they're having a problem or not."
She said that children consuming products containing cannabis because they look like candies they would normally buy at the store is something that happens year-round. Cunningham urged parents to be vigilant at all times and not only during the Halloween season.
Similarly, a police department in Michigan issued a warning to community members after finding counterfeit candy and snacks that contained THC and hallucinogenic mushroom products while personnel were executing a search warrant at a local residence, ABC News reported.
The Dangers of These Products
A public information officer for the Warren Police Department, Lt. John Gajewski, said that the situation is dangerous, as even trained investigators could miss the cannabis-laced products if they are not paying attention. This poses a risk to children who most likely will not be wary of such items during the Halloween season.
Despite the findings, Gajewski said that police had no evidence that the products found while executing the search warrant were planned to be distributed on Halloween. However, he still warned parents and caregivers about the dangers they pose.
In a separate news release, Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins said they were grateful to have been able to remove the cannabis-laden candy look-alikes before they could fall into the hands of kids. He said the situation serves as a reminder for families to be careful during Halloween, as per the Detroit Free Press.
Originally published on parentherald.com
