Prince George's Police Seize Candy Laced With Marijuana
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)—Parents, if your child went trick-or-treating this Halloween night, you'll want to read this story. Police issue a warning after they seize several boxes of candy infused with marijuana in Prince George's County.
Rick Ritter has more on what you need to know.
The packs seems harmless but are really laced with THC.
Investigators are warning parents and kids, saying it's easy to mix up the drug with real candy.
Pack after pack after pack of what seemed to typical Halloween candy is now part of a narcotics investigation.
"Scary," said Jennifer Whitted, mom. "You don't think about that. You don't like to think about things like that."
Prince George's County police seized taffy and chocolate bars they say were headed to Laurel from Colorado.
"I would consider this as dangerous as if you'd let them smoke marijuana," said Captain Chuck Hamby, Prince George's County narcotics enforcement.
They say each pack contains 100 milligrams of THC.
Substance abuse expert Mike Gimbel says the candy is more dangerous than smoking the drug itself.
"One candy bar is not like smoking one joint; it's like smoking seven joints," Gimbel said.
All because it doesn't have an effect right away.
"The user thinks they're not high and the tendency will be to take more of it," Gimbel said
Investigators say there's no indication that the packs were going to be handed out on Halloween, but they can be easily overlooked if mixed in bag of treats.
"It looks like, especially this one, looks like little kids candy, candy with a K," Hamby said.
Parents say what's supposed to be fun has turned into a night of concerns.
"My younger son, who is 9, is actually scared to go trick-or-treating this year," said Jennifer Whitted.
"After you hear all these stories, once you're a mom, you have to be careful," said Claudia Miranda, mom.
And even though it's the first time police have seen the laced candy in this area, they say it most likely won't be the last.
"If there's a demand for it, it's going to show up," Hamby said.
Police say it's still an active investigation, so they aren't releasing many more details.
Investigators are urging parents to check their kids' candy.
Police say the products can be found on the internet in Colorado, but it's an illegal substance in Maryland.
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