Northbrook police said they recently arrested a pizzeria manager accused of selling marijuana candy to a 13-year-old Northbrook resident.
Christian Porras, 21, of the 200 block of Prairie Avenue, Highwood, was arrested Thursday evening outside Sarpino’s pizza at 1384 Meadow Road in downtown Northbrook, Commander Mike O’Malley said.
O’Malley said police had recovered two “gummies” Porras reportedly sold to a teenager sometime around May 27, and tests later showed those candies contained tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component of marijuana.
O’Malley said police investigated after learning from an adult about the alleged sale. O’Malley would not say whether police knew if the child had ingested any of the candy.
He said Porras was charged with a felony marijuana sales, because the sale, which was believe to have taken place on the sidewalk near the pizzeria, was within 1,000 feet of a school, St. Norbert.
O’Malley said Porras is not known to have a police record. He was released Friday on a $15,000 recognizance bond and is scheduled to appear in court July 6.
“I don’t know how many kids he sold to,” O’Malley said. “We just know about the one.”
Marijuana-infused candy and other products are common in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, but the candy now held in evidence by Northbrook may be homemade, as it is contained in a zipper-lock plastic bag, O’Malley said.
But, he said, “I think parents need to be aware that people are masquerading drugs as candy, and pay attention to what their children have.
“God forbid a younger sibling sees it, doesn’t know what it is, and takes it.” O’Malley said.
He said that if Porras is convicted, he faces as much as three to five years in prison. O’Malley also said that the penalties may be eligible for doubling because the alleged buyer was younger than 18, the alleged seller older than 18, and they were more than three years apart in age.
credit:chicagotribune.com
