5 children taken to Victoria-area hospital after mistaking cannabis gummies for popular kids candy
The children, all under 10, admitted to eating Stoner Patch THC-laced gummies believing they were simple candy
A group of children at a Victoria-area family barbecue had to be taken to hospital last Friday after discovering and eating a package of what they believed were simple candies but were, in fact, gummies laced with THC, the psychoactive chemical in the marijuana plant.
In a statement Wednesday, police said officers were called to the Victoria General Hospital on July 16, after five children under the age of 10 were brought in for treatment, then released.
Parents told police they began questioning the kids when they noticed the group was acting oddly, it said.
The kids admitted to finding the Stoner Patch candies inside a room they were playing in and consuming them.
Kids candy strikingly similar
"The parents investigated and upon discovering the candy were THC gummies, immediately called 911," wrote Bowen Osoko, who is responsible for community engagement for the department.
Osoko said investigating officers found a package of Stoner Patch gummies at the home.
Police say no foul play is suspected and no charges will be laid.
Though the use of cannabis products is permitted under provincial and federal law in Canada, police are urging those who use cannabis products to safely store them out of the reach of children.
In January, a CBC investigation found hundreds of websites selling illicit edibles with packages designed to look like all types of candy and chocolate bars — everything from Sour Patch Kids, Pop Tarts, Snickers chocolate bars and more.
The Stoner Patch packaging looks so much like the Sour Patch Kids brand that the company behind that candy, Mondelēz Canada Inc., successfully sued in January 2020 for trademark infringement.