Police warn parents over dangers of cannabis laced sweets

This follows concerns raised in Peterborough after a quatity of drug-infused sweets were seized in December,

Detective Chief Inspector Gan Thayanithy, from Northamptonshire Police said: “These sweets may look innocuous but they are particularly dangerous as they’re unregulated and there’s no way of knowing the levels of cannabis they contain. In fact, some have been discovered to also contain MDMA, which is a Class A drug because of its harmful effects on health.

“It’s easy to misjudge doses and children who have eaten such sweets have suffered side effects like vomiting, dizziness, panic attacks and even unconsciousness.

“I urge parents and carers to make their children aware of this issue and also to be mindful of the possible food packaging/wrappers with wording such as CBD or THC suggesting items are cannabis oil infused, as pictured. Please be mindful of the medical needs should your child present with symptoms, or if it becomes apparent they have consumed a drug-laced substance.”

In December, following an arrest in the Gunthorpe area of Peterborough and the discovery of drug infused sweets a Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: “Amongst the items seized, we found a number of drug-infused sweets, as pictured. They often look very similar to well-known, branded sweets but can be laced with drugs such as THC (cannabis) or synthetic cannabinoids, sometimes known as spice. They’re also available to buy on the internet so can easily be obtained. Unregulated sweets like these are dangerous as we do not know what levels of drugs they contain.

“Our safer schools officers and drug experts are working closely with schools across the county to educate young people on the side effects of such substances.” Anybody with any information should report it to Police on 101, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.