MASSENA, NY (WWNY) — Be sure to check your child's Halloween candy — it's a message parents hear year after year.
One New York state mother is glad she followed through after she says she found marijuana edibles in her child's trick-or-treat stash.
"The teeny, tiny notification that it is THC-infused on the lower right-hand side, with 600 milligrams of THC, is so easily overlooked," said Anita Seefried-Brown with Alliance for Better Communities while reading a label.
A parent in Massena, New York found what looked to be sour candies but were actually THC edibles. Seefried-Brown said even a small bite could hurt small children.
"Once you open a little bag of candy, you're not going to stop at one. The problem with THC edibles is, it can after anywhere between 30 minutes to four hours, when the effect kicks in, it can become very poisonous to the system," said Seefried-Brown.
The bag was dropped off Tuesday night at the Massena Police Department. It immediately posted this public safety announcement on Facebook, which has been shared more than 1,000 times.
"We thought it was a good idea to get it out to the public as soon as possible. Just on the off-chance.. even if it was a mistake," said Lt. Cody Wilson, Massena Police.
Seefried-Brown says it can be tricky to catch what looks like a treat.
"At a very quick glance, one would not know the difference," Seefried-Brown.
Mistake or not, Seefried-Brown says it comes down to storing edibles properly, like you would keep medication out of children's reach.
"If this was an accident, it happened. Luckily this one was caught, and no kids were harmed from it," said Lt. Wilson.
