Police Warn: Illegal Cannabis Edibles that Look Like Candy Were Being Sold to Underage Teens

York Regional Police have issued a warning to parents after illegal cannabis products, including edibles made to look like candy, down to the packaging, seen above, were being sold to underage teens at a convenience store Markham.

York Regional Police is warning parents after a report that illegal cannabis products, including cannabis edibles that look like candy, were being sold to underage teens at a convenience store in the City of Markham. pic.twitter.com/00fSewTpNT

— York Regional Police (@YRP) February 23, 2021

Cannabis edibles became legal in Canada in October of 2019. "Edibles" can include cannabis-infused beverages, cotton candy, dissolvable strips, gummy candies or baked goods. These products must go through a 60-to-90-day approval and procurement process.

In October 2019, Health Canada released a statement saying it has created a “strict legal framework to regulate and restrict access to cannabis keeping it out of the hands of youth, and profits out of the pockets of criminals and organized crime.”

It is illegal, even for authorized products, for the packaging of edibles to be appealing to young people.

But this recent bust of illegal cannabis, including these edibles with packaging made to look like ordinary candy, shows that criminals can get around even "strict legal framework" for long enough to potentially cause some damage.

Talk to Your Children

It is important to talk with your children about the dangers of consuming cannabis and to beware that there are people who may target them with products that look like harmless candy.  These products are not regulated and have not been held to proper health and safety standard. Further, the high from edibles is delayed and if one keeps eating because they think nothing is happening, they will risk serious health complications.

HERE's a kit from Drug Free Kids Canada on how to talk to your kids about cannabis.

Health Canada has a whole page of advice for young people (age 18-25) who can legally buy cannabis. The advice includes:

• The best way to protect your health is to not use cannabis
• You are more likely to experience harm from cannabis because your brain is still developing until around the age of 25
• Shortly after using cannabis, you may have problems paying attention, remembering or learning things, and making decisions. Some of these effects may persist for some time after you stop completely or never fully go away depending on how young you were when you started, how often and for how long you have been using it.
• After alcohol, cannabis is the drug most often linked to car accidents. Cannabis can affect concentration, attention, coordination and slow reaction time.

Image: York Regional Police/ Twitter