Don't risk your kids confusing your cannabis edibles for candy, expert warns

Households across the region are likely still digging through the scores of candy they secured trick-or-treating on Halloween. Some parents may carefully examine packaging for signs of tampering or drugs disguised as candy, but the head of the local poison center is worried about products that may already be in homes.

Upstate New York Poison Center's Dr. Christine Stork said the center isn't has not seen any occurrences of contaminated treats.

"We are not getting phone calls about that and I think over the years that concern about razor blades and people's candy and other things along those, they largely do not pan out," Stork said. "So that's not of large concern. And imagine being someone who wants to make money off of selling drugs to people is not going to want to drop it in some kids candy.”

The state's new Office of Cannabis Management also said on social media there is no evidence edibles are distributed into children’s Halloween bags. The agency said the a prominent concern is children who already have access to drugs in their home.

“Everyday at our poison center, we've got a small child with an edible exposure and they get they get symptomatic; it's a problem," Stork said.

Stork said some children might become severely sedated, stop breathing or experience a seizure. She said parents and guardians should take special care to keep them out of reach or locked up because kids may confuse them as candy.

"That's really the problem is that somebody's going to see something that looks like a gummy that they eat every day, and they're not going to know that it's something different," she said.

The center’s website said it saw a sixfold increase in these types of calls over the last four years. The Poison Center is available 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222.