Police Trying To Prevent Kids From Being Pot-Poisoned

BRANFORD, CT — Packaged to appeal to kids, these are no Scooby treats. Dubbed 'edibles,' the candies and cookies have many times the recommended adult dose of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana. This is no the now popular and commonplace 'CBD,' which is the a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis that doesn’t produce the high found in THC.

This means that these so-called snacks and goodies known as edibles are particularly dangerous for kids and can cause serious effects such as intoxication, altered perception, anxiety, panic, paranoia, dizziness, apnea, and heart problems.

And they are illegal.

As Branford Police point out, "even though Connecticut has decriminalized Marijuana, there are strict laws and regulations regarding the use, possession, and purchase" if these edibles.

On Friday Oct. 15, the Branford Police Department executed a search warrant at local home where police say, Juan Rojas, 21, was allegedly selling edibles including gummies and cookies.

Police say they also found $10,000 in cash "obtained as proceeds from drug sales." They charged Rojas with operation of a drug factory, three counts of possession with intent to sell, possession of controlled substance and risk of injury to a child.

As of Friday, he was being held on a $50,000 bond. His name and case information does not yet appear on the judicial criminal database.

Meanwhile, police are cautioning parents to learn more and be on the lookout for these potentially dangerous marijuana derivatives.

"It’s critical for parents to understand the way the edible products are packaged, the amount of drugs they contain, how the drug is absorbed into the body, and how readily available they are to children and teens," police wrote on Facebook.

Parents can learn more on about preventing "pot poisoning" here.