Ghouls and goblins are being warned about cannabis being accidentally found in their Halloween treats.
The province is urging parents to be vigilant as Canada marks its third spooky season since cannabis edibles became legal.
“No one wants to ruin the fun of a Halloween outing by confusing illegal cannabis edibles that often come in bright candy-like packaging,” said Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth.
“The onus is on adults to keep our kids safe and to ensure that no child ends up in the hospital due to accidental poisoning.”
The dangers posed to young people by illegal, colourful packaging are frequently compounded by the high THC concentration in the unregulated product that the packaging contains. The federal government regulates all cannabis packaging and labelling, with strict limits on look and feel that are intended to make the products less appealing to children and youth.
In B.C., only adults 19 and older may purchase, possess and consume non-medical cannabis products. Strict penalties are in place for those who sell or provide these products to minors.
Earlier this week, two people in Delta were charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of distribution and one count of altering cannabis by use of an organic solvent after a year-long investigation into a report from a parent that found cannabis edibles inside the Halloween bags of their eight and nine-year-old children.
In that probe, thousands of cannabis edibles were seized in addition to associated packaging and labeling materials and equipment.