Stoneo or Oreo?: US Parents Warned of THC-Laced Halloween Candy

Inspect your children’s candy! Parents are advised to look out for symptoms of THC overdose that may include respiratory distress, loss of coordination, and loss of consciousness.

As Halloween approaches, attorney generals from Connecticut and Ohio are issuing a warning about cannabis products packaged to look like major snack brands, alerting parents to inspect their children’s Halloween candy and packaging.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost warned of “unregulated, illegal marijuana snacks” and candies that come in packaging designed to look similar to genuine brands in a press release Tuesday.

“The levels of THC in these fakes could have some real and devastating consequences for children,” Yost said. “Parents need to be extra cautious, especially around Halloween, that these copycat products don’t wind up in treat bags.”

The release included several pictured examples of some of these products - including Oreo, Sour Patch Kids and Cheeto snack packages - which were confiscated by law enforcement.

Overdose incidents involving ingestion of edible cannabis foods among children have been on the rise. So far, 80 percent of calls related to marijuana edibles to the Poison Control Center during the first half of 2020 were reported for pediatric exposure, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Halloween candy and decorations are displayed at a store, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020, in Freeport, Maine. U.S. sales of In this year of the pandemic, with trick-or-treating still an uncertainty, Halloween candy were up 13% over last year in the month ending Sept. 6, according to data from market research firm IRI and the National Confectioners Association.

© AP Photo / Robert F. Bukaty

"Accidental cannabis overdoses by children are increasing nationwide, and these products will only make this worse. While Connecticut recently legalized adult-use cannabis, many of these products fall far outside the range of what will ever be safe or authorized for sale. If you see these look-alike products for sale, please report them to my office and take every measure to keep these away from kids,” said Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.

The release provided helpful guidance to parents encouraging them to speak with their children, including young adults, to provide age-appropriate guidance about the “dangers look-alike products pose.”

Consumers who encounter look-alike cannabis edible products are encouraged to file a consumer complaint with the attorney general’s office that pertains to their state.