Police warn parents: Watch out for pot-infused 'treats' in kids' bags this Halloween
BELLINGHAM -- Razor blades in apples aren’t the only thing parents need to look out for this Halloween. Now that pot stores are legal in Washington, police say parents need to make sure marijuana-infused edibles don’t get into their kids’ hands.
Top Shelf Cannabis in Bellingham was the first store in the state to sell edibles. A few months later, they’re still selling a lot.
“They’ve been doing really, really well,” owner John Evich said Monday night.
That might be alarming to parents, because some marijuana-infused treats look like treats that kids would eat.
“It’s hard to tell,” admitted Evich. “Except for the packaging.”
The Washington State Liquor Control Board has rules about how edibles can be labeled and packaged. Local producers are using heavy plastic and child-proof zips on bags to make their products hard to get into.
“When you take a close look at the labels, they're not made to look attractive to a kid. They don't have that candy look.”
Still, with Halloween around the corner, police are reminding parents to take a look at whatever treats their kids bring home.
“If it's not professionally packaged in a factory, that should be a warning sign,” Seattle police officer Patrick Michaud said.
Parents we talked to say they’re always careful around Halloween.
“Any type of hole or anything, we throw it away,” said Jimmy Wilson. “We make sure it's sealed candy.”
Even though many parents hadn’t thought about the possibility of their kids getting something with marijuana in it before, they say they’d be suspicious of any baked treats.
“Anything that looked like a cookie or something that could be easily tampered with, I wouldn't trust it with my children,” said Daniel Ringel.
Police say they haven’t heard of any problems with kids accidentally getting edibles in Washington, but they want parents to be prepared.
“There’s a possibility for it. But as long as you do the right thing and check your kid’s candy, you have nothing to worry about.”