Halloween Candy with Pot is Back
Every year it's the same story—reports about kids receiving sweets laced with weed start to appear just in time for Halloween. Who breaks the ice this year? It happens that a five-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri, got Delta-8 gummies at a local Halloween event. Police were immediately alarmed about the incident.
The St. Charles, Missouri Police Department issued a safety warning after a mother reported finding a small bag of Delta 8 gummy worms in her 5-year-old's Halloween candy bag following a trunk-or-treat event last weekend.
The kid's mother, Tiffany Burroughs, told local media that she went to the event, hosted at a local restaurant, along with her three sons, ages one, two, and five. "They loved going, dressing up in their costumes," she told reporters.
Burroughs said she noticed the unordinary package of edibles labeled "Delta 8" after returning home. Delta 8 gummies usually generate a mild high that is easier to manage than regular THC, however, as with other cannabis goodies, it's not safe for children!
Burroughs contacted the police, and officers notified the restaurant. Stephen Bell, co-owner of the restaurant, said the Halloween-themed event they host each October attracts many guests.
"Me and the manager and the other owner walked through the lot. I mean we looked through everyone's candy, and we couldn't find anything," Bell told local reporters.
Police also screened all candy but couldn't find any extra packages of Delta 8 gummy worms. In the end, they concluded it was a one-off incident.
"We don't believe, at this time, there was malicious intent. That somehow these gummy worms got mixed in with candy because they do look like candy," said Lt. Tom Wilkison of the St. Charles Police Department.
Wilkison added that the incident should remind all parents to check the candy their children receive for Halloween.
Last year, authorities issued several warnings after multiple reports emerged nationwide of children unwittingly eating intoxicating candy.
Weed intoxication by accident is on the rise among children. The main problem is that a lot of edibles look very similar to regular sweets and it's very easy to mix them. To address the issue, some states are introducing regulations prohibiting manufacturers from using any packaging that might look deceptive.
At the same time, established candy makers are facing issues over copyright branding. The king of candy Mars recently won a lawsuit against online weed retailers in Canada after alleging they sold edibles that looked like Skittles.
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Stephen Andrews
