Police in Johnstown Pennsylvania are warning parents to be extra cautious regarding their Halloween candy, in order to prevent their children from consuming anything laced with drugs.
The warning came in response to the police department's discovery of a stash of drug-laced candy in Stoney Creek Township while conducting a search warrant.
The official Facebook page for the Johnstown Police Department posted images of said candy, which was disguised as a packet of Nerds Rope. It contained 400mg of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
"The Johnstown Police would like to draw extra attention to the Nerds Rope edibles containing 400mg of THC found during a search warrant in Stoney Creek Twp," they wrote. "During this Halloween, we urge parents to be ever vigilant in checking their children’s candy before allowing them to consume those treats. Drug laced edibles are package[d] like regular candy and may be hard to distinguish from the real candy."
As seen in the photo, the faux candy does have a label indicating that it contains THC, however, it would be very easy for a parent or a child to confuse it with a non-stimulant candy.
Ferrara Candy Company, who make Nerds Rope, released this statement to CBS News:
"This product is counterfeit and in no way associated with Ferrara Candy Company. We want to reassure consumers that the products they find at major retailers across the country are safe for them to consume."
The company is believed to be "working with the relevant authorities" to ensure the issue of counterfeit Nerds products is resolved.
Recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that marijuana-related ER visits increased by more than 60 per cent between 2005 and 2011.
In particular, there has been a rise in teens and children ending up in the hospital after consuming some form of cannabis whether intentionally or not - so the concern is a very real one.
