ESSEX Police want parents to be aware of the dangers of Cannabis edibles – food products that contain the mood-altering ingredient from cannabis. We know across the country that dealers are disguising these dangerous drugs as sweets to target and exploit young people.
Cannabis edibles are illegal and although they contain an element of the Class B drug, they do not have the smell or appearance of cannabis. Instead, they look and smell like a normal shop-bought food item but can be stronger than other cannabis products. And because of how they are packaged, they can be particularly appealing to children, young people and teenagers.
We know that gangs are using edibles as a ‘hook’ through which they coerce pre-teenage children into the county lines model. They do this particularly because children aged under ten-years-old are under the age of criminal responsibility.
Their purchase is illegal in the UK, but we know the products are advertised for sale through social media networks – and therefore young people are at risk of seeing them. The effects of the edibles are also much more delayed, meaning young people are likely to eat a dangerous amount before they even feel their effects.
Essex Police encourage anyone with information on anyone selling cannabis edibles to call 101. The people selling these are drug dealers. Their product may not have the appearance of a drug, but their product most certainly is a drug – and a very dangerous one.
