Officials warn parents of look-alike THC-infused candy
May 13—Parents may want to keep an eye on the snacks their kids are bringing home, as law enforcement warned of cannabis-infused candies that look just like the real thing circling in St. Joseph.
Buchanan County Drug Strike Force Capt. Shawn Collie displayed a variation of recently seized THC-infused candy that nearly replicated original ones such as Snickers, Jolly Ranchers, Nerds Ropes and other popular brands.
They all contained more than 600mg of THC, which is drawing concern for the impact it could have on children who get their hands on a bag.
"It's especially concerning because you have the younger kids who may just want to dig into it because it looks like candy," Collie said. "You have no idea what effect this is going to have on a child and that's where we start seeing these rise in accidental overdoses."
The drug strike force seized the products as part of a drug interdiction with other local agencies and collected over 150 kilograms of liquid THC, hundreds of pounds of marijuana and hundreds of pounds of shrooms.
Most of the candy bags came out of California or Las Vegas, but recently, traffickers have been attempting to smuggle them into St. Joseph.
While marijuana is legal in Missouri, state regulations say all marijuana products should be produced, packaged and labeled in a manner that protects public health and is not attractive to children.
"What we're trying to figure out is going from the regulatory to what's the criminal element," Collie said. "There's a lot of confusion with marijuana being legal now and people have to realize there's still parameters that go with it from where it's grown, where the seeds come from, where it's processed at and where this stuff is being shipped. Bringing them across from California to St. Joe is illegal."
Although THC-infused candy is designed for adult consumption, parents are being warned to have an open conversation with minors and know the difference between regular candy and cannabis-infused candy as these products are making their way into smoke shops and some gas stations.
"Know the different products that are out there and the dangers it can cause," Collie said. "A clerk could accidentally put it out on the shelves mistaking it for the regular Nerd Ropes or Life Saver Gummies so being aware of what you're purchasing is going to be a huge thing we're pushing to the community."
Jenna Wilson can be reached at jenna.wilson@newspressnow.com.
