Two charged after some Winnipeg children given Halloween candy labelled with THC

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This article was published 01/11/2022 (786 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG – Two people are facing charges for allegedly giving out Halloween candy in Winnipeg that included THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis.

More than a dozen parents in the South Tuxedo neighbourhood reported that their kids, while out trick-or-treating Monday night, were given a clear sandwich bag with full-sized chocolate bars inside and a small package that looked like a popular candy known as Nerds, police said Tuesday.

Police released photographs of the packages, which are bright and colourful with a similar design to the candy. But the product was labelled “Medicated Nerds” and the packaging said it contains 600 milligrams of THC.

The product was not something that can be legally sold in Canada, police said, due to labelling requirements that limit the use of colours and logos, as well as mandated health warnings. Drug tests were still pending Tuesday to determine whether the products actually contained THC.

“There have been stories in the past where … items have been put out that perhaps weren’t actually containing THC, and that’s why we said further testing will be required,” Const. Dani McKinnon, a Winnipeg police spokesperson, said.

“But we are treating this as a real cannabis product at this point until proven otherwise.”

Police obtained a search warrant for an area home and took two people into custody — a 53-year-old woman and 63-year-old man who they say face charges including criminal negligence causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance.

“We don’t know the motive behind this,” McKinnon said.

Police say their investigation is ongoing, the two have been released from custody and there have been no reports so far of any children being harmed by the product. They are reminding parents and guardians to carefully check their children’s Halloween candy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2022