With Halloween now just a few weeks away, people of all ages across Florida are busy planning parties, looking for costumes and, of course, buying candy. While most of the warnings involving Halloween candy are geared toward kids — have a parent check your confections before eating them, don’t eat too much, etc. — both law enforcement and health officials are now issuing new candy-related warnings aimed squarely at adults.
The warnings in question, however, pertain to so-called marijuana edibles, which have exploded in popularity in recent years thanks to states like Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska legalizing their sale to people over the age of 21.
For those unfamiliar with marijuana edibles, they are generally candy, gummies or suckers infused with THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and sold in packaging bearing some sort of warning label or indication that they’re not for consumption by children.
What then are these warnings law enforcement and health officials are issuing concerning marijuana edibles?
Firstly, they are warning about the health risks posed by eating too many of these pot-infused candies.
Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a warning this past summer advising people to be careful not to consume too many of these products at one time as it could result in acute marijuana intoxication.
The danger, said officials, is that while it can take only a few minutes for the effects of THC to be felt after smoking marijuana, it can actually take several hours for them to be felt after eating marijuana-infused products, as the THC must work its way through the stomach and liver.
As such, officials urge people to be mindful of this health risk and take steps to ensure that they don’t consume too many marijuana edibles thinking it will somehow get them higher faster.
The second warning relating to these marijuana edibles comes from law enforcement officials, who are reminding people that these products are illegal here in Florida, and that anyone found to have these on their person on Halloween — or any other time — can be charged with possession or perhaps even more serious offenses depending on the amount.
Always remember that if you or a loved one have been charged with any sort of drug-related offense, consider contacting an experienced legal professional as soon as possible.