State and local police have issued warnings about candy laced with marijuana that have been distributed to children in New Jersey and nearby states.
According to a statement issued by multiple police departments Monday, the candy poses “a great risk to users, especially children who could accidentally receive them during the Halloween season.”
Levels of tetrahydrocannabinol — the active ingredient in marijuana that causes a high — are unusually high in the candy, police said.“THC levels in marijuana candy can be as high as 90 percent,” the statement warns, compared to 10 to 20 percent found in the plant form of marijuana.
Symptoms of ingested marijuana candy include dizziness, shallow breathing, red eyes and dilated pupils, dry mouth, increased appetite and slow reaction time, police said. Other effects include distorted sense of time, random thinking, paranoia, anxiety, depression and short-term forgetfulness.
Marijuana has been distributed in forms including cookies, brownies, lollipops, gummies, chocolates and hard candies, police said.Police said adults should check their children’s Halloween candy for unusual candy packaging, including items that are wrapped in plastic bags, as well as the scent of marijuana.
Anyone who suspects a child has received marijuana candy should contact local police. Seek medical assistance if a child has ingested marijuana candy.
credit:lancasteronline.com
