"Worrying" rise in cannabis edibles

Tuesday 27 October 2020

There has been a “worrying” increase in the amount of edible cannabis products being smuggled into Jersey this year, according to Customs.

An “edible” is a collective term for any food - such as sweets, cookies, cakes, peanut butter and chocolate - that has been infused with cannabis.

Specifically, an edible contains cannabinoids, usually tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the 'high' sensation.

Cannabis containing THC is illegal outside of authorised medical use, as opposed to cannabis products that only contain cannabidiol, which has health benefits but does not give a ‘high’. It is also extracted from hemp.

Pictured: One of the popular types of edible cannabis is 'Nerds Rope', which is based on a popular confectionary in the the US.

Because the cannabis-laced edibles are often infused in everyday sweets and other sugary foods, including Gummy Bears and Nerds Rope, they can be attractive to young people. 

Yet, depending on the type of cannabis they contain, edibles can be classified as a Class A drug - the same band as heroin, cocaine and ecstasy. 

Having only seized two packets of edibles before, this year Customs officers have stopped 24 separate importation attempts, all through the post. 

Rhiannon Small, Senior Manager of the Tasking Unit at Jersey Customs and Immigration, said that the service was taking the rising popularity of edibles seriously.

“The increase in seizures is a worrying trend, not least because people might be unaware they are importing a Class A drug, if the edible is found to contain cannabis in a non-plant form, such as oil," she explained.

Pictured: Customs and Immigration Senior Manager Rhiannon Small.

“These edibles look so innocuous and can be easily found on websites. But they are potent and there’s always a danger that people take too many or they can be shared out and taken inadvertently.

“Generally, we have seen an increase in postal importations during lockdown and we monitor the post closely. Parents also need to be aware that the marketing of edibles is particularly attractive to young people. They are sold as, or close to, well-known brands.”

Mrs Small added that between 1 January and 30 September in 2019, Customs officers made 83 seizures of prohibited substances at the Post Office. Over the same period this year, they made 237 seizures - a 185% increase in postal importations year on year.

Specifically talking about edibles, Mrs Small said that Customs officers investigated every seizure and, although there had been no prosecutions so far, there were a number of cases being prepared.

Earlier this month, 13 children in their early teens from the same school in north London were hospitalised after eating fake gummy bears laced with THC. It was reported that a number had vomited and some had passed out after eating the sweets.

Pictured: The case of 13 schoolgirls taking edibles at a north London school recently gained nationwide coverage.

A Canadian study earlier this year said that the risks of consuming edibles included inadvertent overdose, because it takes much longer for edible cannabis to take effect, accidental consumption by children and unexpected potency in the elderly.

It added that, while a cannabis overdose was unlikely to be fatal, people could experience a racing heart, sweatiness, delusions and hallucinations.