Parents urged to be vigilant to dangers of cannabis sweets

THERE have been calls from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Gardai for vigilance about the dangers of cannabis jellies ahead of this Halloween weekend.

Following an increase in seizures of cannabis jellies, The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) are urging parents to be “extremely vigilant” to the dangers of the cannabis sweets and products that contain the psychoactive cannabis component known as THC.

The jellies, which can look like, smell like and even be packaged in a similar way to regular store-bought sweets can contain significant levels of THC which can cause mild euphoria and some sedation when ingested.

In toxic amounts, children can become un-coordinated and potentially go into a coma or take seizures.

In a statement from the FSAI ahead of Halloween, they said that there is “growing availability in Ireland” particularly of jelly sweets that contain significant amounts of THC.

Depending on the THC concentration, eating one of these jellies can mean ingesting a level of THC that is five to10 times higher than that inhaled when smoking cannabis.

As reported previously by The Echo, it has been reported that six children under the age of 10 have been admitted to hospital this year after digesting the jellies.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI says the accidental consumption of edible cannabis products by children is extremely worrying.

“We know adults and/or teenagers are ordering these illegal products from online or other illegal sources for their own personal use,” she said.

“However, they often have no understanding of the real health dangers of these products and are careless or reckless in putting young children’s health at risk by allowing them access to these products.

“The prevalence of these edible products containing THC in communities and schools around the country is a growing cause for concern and parents and guardians should be extra vigilant during festivities such as Halloween where parties will be underway, and the risk of accidental consumption of these products is considerably higher.”

The stark warning comes after there has been an increase in seizures of the products across the country, including a seizure of €10,000 worth of cannabis jellies and €6,000 in cash in the Ballycullen area during a search on October 18 by the Divisional Drugs Units from DMR North and South.

The FSAI confirmed that they will be working closely with other Government agencies to detect and stop the import of the illegal products into the country.