Tetrahydrocannabinol, (THC), candies that were purchased in Vancouver B.C. has a 24-year-old Edmonton man facing drug charges after a routine traffic stop on Jan. 11 near Wabamun in Alberta.
RCMP say candies made from THC are a drug variant new to the Edmonton area. Chemical solvents are used to extract THC oil and resin from organic marijuana, and the THC extracts are then synthesized into candies. Generally these chemical extracts are more potent than typical organic marijuana.
“Consumers have no way of knowing the percentage of THC or the potency of these candies,” said Sgt. Lorne Adamitz, a drug expert with the RCMP. “Candies are created to attract a broader customer base, which includes youth, but attractive, brightly-coloured candy brings in a whole new set of risk factors for the exposure of children and toddlers to marijuana.”
There have already been documented cases of children being taken to emergency rooms after ingesting substances laced with drugs.
On Jan. 11, members of the Capital West Integrated Traffic Unit (ITU) stopped an eastbound vehicle for a traffic violation. Mounties say the investigating officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the interior. Further investigation resulted in the seizure of 5,238 grams of marijuana in baggies, or potentially 25,000 joints. Officers also seized 574 grams of an unidentified substance, later identified as THC candies.
Donald Cook of Edmonton is now facing charges for possession with intent to traffic.
“Preventing drug trafficking is a very satisfying aspect of our work,” said Staff Sgt. Jamie Johnston of Alberta RCMP Traffic Services. “Unfortunately with the increasing commercialization of marijuana as a response to its legalization in some areas of the U.S., it is likely that we will see more of these types of drugs making their way to our streets.”
Cook will appear at the Stony Plain Provincial Court on April 26.
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