Parents Warned of Edible Marijuana Products That Look Like Popular Candies and Cereals

A consumer alert has been issued for edible marijuana products that look like popular candies and cereals amid hundreds of reported adverse reactions from these THC-laced copycats.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these edible marijuana products are bagged or boxed in very familiar packaging that appeals to many children. The agency has identified nine copycat products, such as Cocoa Pebbles, Cap'n Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Fruity Pebbles, Trix, Froot Loops, Starbursts, Nerd Ropes, and Sour Patch Kids, but there are likely more in the market.

The FDA said that there had been over 100 reported adverse reactions related to these copycat products with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in both children and adults from July 2021 to April 2022. These reactions include hallucinations, vomiting, and increased heart rate that need hospital intervention.

The agency said that it is actively monitoring the market for these edible marijuana products. They advised calling the poison control center via 1-800-222-1222 for accidental ingestion.

Fifth-Grade Kids Ate Edible Marijuana Products

The news comes after two kids in a Michigan fifth grade class had to be hospitalized for eating edible marijuana candies in school. Mom Krystle Hall said that a classmate gave her son the candy and was at the hospital two hours later. However, the police told the mother that no one would be charged for the incident.

Hall is upset that no one will be accountable for what happened to her 11-year-old. She could also not believe that her son would be disciplined by the school based on their Code of Conduct, along with the other child who brought the candy, per Newsweek.

The mother blamed the school for not watching over the kids properly, but a spokesperson said keeping track of every food the students bring to school was not a possibility. The spokesperson also said that the parents should take responsibility and ensure that edible marijuana products do not end up in their children's hands.

In Oklahoma, police in Moore County also dealt with two incidents involving school kids accidentally ingesting edible marijuana candies in a matter of weeks, prompting Scott Schaeffer of the state's Center for Poison and Drug Information to remind parents to look after their children.

THC-Laced Candies Have Higher Concentration

Nearly two dozen states have legalized edible marijuana for recreational and medicinal use. However, Schaeffer said that today's current THC-laced products have a higher concentration than products sold in the '60s and '70s. Though there have been no reported fatalities from these incidents, Schaeffer confirmed that some children had to be on a ventilator because of the adverse effects.

Christopher Gindlesperger of the National Confectioners Association said that manufacturers have been quite aggressive in marketing their edible marijuana products, to the point of infringing on trademarks of some famous brands, per 7 News Boston. The National Confectioners Association has been working with lawmakers to pursue regulatory guidelines and stop these THC-laced copycats from proliferating the market. Currently, there are no standardized rules to how these edibles have to be manufactured, designed, packed, and sold.