Parents are reminded to take a little more time to check their children’s candy, as the province marks the third Halloween since cannabis edibles were legalized.
It is not common for cannabis candy to appear on Halloween, but it has been known to occur in British Columbia.
In 2018, they were accidentally delivered to a trick or treating by Victoria, and Delta police announced charges against two people earlier this week who allegedly delivered them on Halloween 2020. In both cases, the cannabis candy was detected by alert parents. .
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In a warning issued Friday, the British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety said parents should be particularly vigilant for unlicensed cannabis candy.
Legal cannabis edibles are strictly limited in dosage (maximum 10 milligrams per package) and in plain packaging.
The province warns that illegal products could have brightly colored packaging that mimics popular sweets and may also contain much higher doses of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana.
Kayley Nelson, assistant manager at Evergreen Cannabis in Vancouver, said adults who have edibles in their home should take precautions to keep them safe.
“Keep it locked up, keep it out of reach,” he said.
He also encouraged consumers to always buy legal products, the quality of which has been verified and vetted by Health Canada.
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Legal products also come in safe packaging that increases their safety, he said.
“It’s supposed to be childproof, you’re not supposed to be able to get in easily,” he said. “Many adults also struggle to enter them.”
“If you go through your kid’s candy and make sure nothing is strangely packaged or unwrapped and you’re doing your due diligence, it really shouldn’t fall into your kid’s hands.”
According to the BC Drug and Poison Information Center, children’s exposure to edible cannabis doubled in 2020 compared to 2019.
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Health Canada has recorded several cases of serious harm, including hospitalization, after children accidentally used cannabis products.
Symptoms of accidental cannabis ingestion can include unbalanced, uncoordinated, and sleepy or sleepy appearance, and in extreme cases where a very high dose was consumed, could include shortness of breath.
Anyone who believes someone is having a cannabis-related medical emergency should call 911 or the Poison and Drug Information Center (1-800-567-8911).
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