The Florida Sheriffs Association put out a warning for parents for this Halloween, asking them to watch out for marijuana-laced candy. The sheriffs say it could get mixed-in with traditional candy this Halloween.
On their Facebook page, the association said packages that look appealing to children could be distributed with names similar to legitimate products, like “Pot-Tarts” instead of Pop-Tarts, or “Nugella” instead of Nutella.
Monday’s news conference was hosted by the anti-medical-marijuana group Don't Let Florida Go to Pot. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, the president of the Florida Sheriffs Association, presided over the news conference.
"We are certainly concerned about trick-or-treating this year," he said. "Even though the potential for the marijuana edibles appearing this year may be somewhat minimal, it is still a threat in our community."
The warning comes less than two weeks before Florida voters go to polls, where Amendment 2 — the legalization of medical marijuana — is on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election.
Supporters of the medical marijuana amendment say the warning is a scare tactic to keep people from voting for Amendment 2, which needs approval from 60 percent of Florida voters to pass.
Demings cited Colorado as a place where kids could get the drug via trick-or-treating.
But The Associated Press reported in 2014 that there have been no such incidents in Colorado. Voters in the state approved an amendment that made it legal as of December 2012 for anyone 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana for any purpose.
United For Care, the pro-medical-marijuana group funded by Orlando attorney John Morgan, pushed to get the issue on the Florida ballot. On its website, United For Care cited a new poll that showed that Amendment 2 has a 74 percent approval rating. The telephone survey of 800 likely Florida voters was conducted by Anzalone Liszt Grove Research between Oct. 17-20.
As always, the best advice for parents is to remain vigilant about the candy their children might receive on Halloween night.
Today medical and law enforcement officials met to highlight the dangers of edible marijuana products. Officials want to...
Posted by Florida Sheriffs Association on Monday, October 24, 2016