Parents worry about pot edibles in candy bags this Halloween

Some parents are concerned marijuana edibles will end up in their kids’ candy bags this Halloween.

Aisha Joseph said she wants to avoid that risk in Colorado Springs.

“I understand that people do need it for medical reasons, but I don’t want it to be where they’re accidentally issuing it out to their kids or kids in their home accidentally issuing it out to my kids,” she said.

The Denver Police Department put out a video warning parents of the similarities between some edibles and regular candy. In the video, the owner of a Denver marijuana shop says edible marijuana manufacturers often infuse knock-off candy.

“The problem is that some of these products look so similar to candy that’s been on the market that we’ve eaten as children, that there’s really no way for a child or a parent or anybody even an expert in the field to tell you whether or not a product is infused or not,” Urban Dispensary owner Patrick Johnson said.

But parents can help avoid mix-ups.

“What we want parents to look for are any kind of loose candies, any candies that are in plastic bags and also any bags or packages that appear to have been tampered with, and resealed or are opened,” Manitou Springs Police officer Odette Saglimbeni said.

Saglimbeni said even on edibles in which the packaging looks like regular candy, parents should be able to tell the difference, because it will be labeled saying it contains THC. But she said there is no added concern of a mix-up this year because of the new laws in Colorado.

“It’s good for parents to be aware that it could happen and to look out for certain things, but I wouldn’t say it’s a high possibility that it could happen,” she said.

People at multiple retail and medical marijuana shops around southern Colorado said they don’t think anyone would willingly give out their marijuana edibles.

But Joseph doesn’t want to take the risk. She said the new laws regarding marijuana in the state motivated her to move away from Colorado.