This Halloween, state and local government officials, as well as law enforcement officials, are warning parents and caregivers to be extra vigilant when checking the packaging of candy and snack products.
A police department in Michigan issued a warning to community members after uncovering counterfeit candy and snacks containing THC and hallucinogenic mushroom products while executing a search warrant at a local residence.
The counterfeit candy and snacks were in packaging that looked like the authentic product, according to police.
"We thought to ourselves, 'Wow, if a group of trained investigators looked at this and didn't pay any attention, what's your average kid gonna do on Halloween?," Lt. John Gajewski, public information officer for the Warren Police Department in Michigan, told ABC News. "And we just felt we wanted to get this message out there to parents and children to be vigilant this Halloween season."
Gajewski added that police have no evidence the items found while executing the search warrant were going to be distributed on Halloween. Still, he said, parents and caregivers should be aware of lookalike candy and snack products that contain THC.
"If you're possessing these legally in your house, and you want to use them, that's your business," he said of THC-containing products. "But put them away, lock them up like medication, so that somebody, an adult or a child, doesn't get them accidentally."
THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is a psychoactive compound found in marijuana, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Consuming THC produces a psychoactive effect, according to the DEA. In the United States, the legality and enforcement of THC use varies by state.
In Arkansas, state officials are also warning parents and caregivers to look at candy packaging carefully.
According to Arkansas Tobacco Control, some candy-like products that contain THC and are illegal under Arkansas law can be found at gas stations and convenience stores.
"The concern for us is that a lot of these products very closely resemble products that kids normally consume that are available in gas stations or grocery stores," David Potter, regulatory enforcement director for Arkansas Tobacco Control, told ABC Little Rock station KATV-TV.
Gajewski told ABC News that parents and caregivers should look for warning labels on the packaging of candy-like products.
"Look for unusual symbols, unusual odors, anything that may indicate this isn't normal," he said, adding that people can also call their local police department if they have concerns.
On Halloween, Gajewski said people should avoid consuming candy that is unwrapped or comes from a source they do not know or trust.
Officials told ABC News that the makers of the candy and snack products shown in the warnings are not behind the fake products.
Ferrara Candy Company, the maker of Troll and Nerds candy products, told ABC News in a statement that its products found at major retailers are safe.
"We are deeply concerned that our candy packaging imagery or deceitful lookalike logos are being used ... intentionally or otherwise, [on] unregulated products that have been demonstrated to be unsafe for children," the company said.
