They may resemble the familiar candy, cookies, and chips that are staples in most American households.
But these “imitation” products are laced with psychoactive drugs that can kill in high doses and are especially dangerous for children.
They contain delta-8 THC, a synthetic chemical that mimics the effects of marijuana and is sold in vape shops and convenience stores.
Today, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent warning letters to sellers of five products, including Trips Ahoy! and Stoneos, saying the manufacturers had demonstrated a “complete disregard for consumer safety.”
There have already been spikes in accidental cannabis overdoses in people who accidentally ingested edibles designed to look like regular candy.
The above shows the five products the FDA is warning consumers not to eat, saying they resemble popular candy but are laced with THC.
North Carolina mother Catherine Buttereit revealed her son became ill after accidentally eating 40 THC-infused candies when he mistook them for Skittles.
Delta-8 THC can cause hallucinations, vomiting, loss of consciousness, hospitalization, and even death in rare cases.
Experts say that because the effects take more than an hour to kick in after ingestion, there is a high risk of overdose.
In January of this year, a six-year-old boy was hospitalized after eating 40 THC-infused gummies that his parents mistook for freeze-dried Skittles.
His mother, Catherine Buttereit of North Carolina, said her son was in “excruciating pain” and spent hours in the hospital with a cold chest, a burning head and a stomach that seemed in knots from “snacks.”
FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Namandje Bumpus said: ‘Inadequate or confusing labeling can lead to unsuspecting children or adults inadvertently consuming products… containing delta-8 THC.
‘Since accidental ingestion and/or excessive consumption of delta-8 THC products could pose significant health risks, companies selling these illegal products are demonstrating a complete disregard for consumer safety.’
He added: “The FDA will continue to work to safeguard the health and safety of American consumers… by taking action when companies sell products that pose a threat to public health.”
The companies behind the products are: Hippy Mood, Earthly Hemps, Shamrockshrooms.com, Mary Janes Bakery Co. LLC, Life Leaf Medical CBD Center, and GrowGod LLC.
Each has 15 days to withdraw the products from sale or risk facing legal action from the agencies.
The image above shows the THC-infused candies purchased by the mother, who mistook them for freeze-dried Skittles.
And above is a photo of the store where she bought them, which didn’t even ask for her ID or warn her that the products contained THC.
A spokesperson for Earthly Hemps, which sold Dr Blaze Slushers, said CNN They had not sold any of the listed products during the last year.
The others did not respond to requests for comment.
This comes after the agencies also issued a warning last year about six other products, which they also said closely resembled popular candy.
Imitation food products containing THC are of extreme concern to authorities because they fear that people could accidentally overdose on them, risking a range of adverse effects.
Products are also usually easily purchased and available at any time.Available for the little ones, with packaging that is almost indistinguishable from that of many popular snacks.
At least one child has died after overdosing on delta-8 THC edibles.
In the two years through 2022, the National Poison Control Centers said it managed 10,448 adverse events from consuming edibles containing THC.
Of these cases, 77 percent involved people aged 19 or younger and 65 percent were due to unintentional exposure.
Of those who unknowingly consumed the products, 91 percent were children.
Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said: ‘Companies that market and sell THC-infused edibles that are easily mistaken for snacks and candy are not only acting illegally, they are also putting the health of young children at risk.
“Those who prioritize profits over the safety of children are at serious risk of legal action.”
In the case of the Buttereit family, the boy’s mother said they were bowling in Charlotte’s South End when her son asked for the snacks.
He ordered them (they’re sold in a package labeled “Freeze Fried Zkittlez”) and said he’d never seen freeze-dried Skittles before and was eager to try them.
“I said, ‘Sure, yeah, that looks great. Let’s try it out.’ And he handed me the bag and I handed it to the cashier, she rang it up and we finished the transaction,” the mother said. The New York Post.
“They never asked me for ID or told me what I was buying.”
He began showing symptoms after devouring the candy, but Buttereit only called emergency services after he told her his water tasted “disgusting,” which she had once heard was a warning sign of poisoning.
It was at that point that the family read the back of the candy package and discovered that it was laced with THC.