Sheriff's Department urges parents to check for pot-laced Halloween candy

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is urging parents to look for candy containing marijuana this Halloween.

Investigators have confiscated candies and snacks containing pot from marijuana dispensaries, and they are concerned such items could wind up in children's trick-or-treat bags, they said Friday in a statement.

The warning comes days before Californians vote on Proposition 19, the marijuana legalization measure. Sheriff Lee Baca opposes the proposition and has said he will continue to arrest marijuana growers even if it is approved.

Officials said in their warning that the confiscated items were untested and unlicensed, and some of the packaging could be attractive to children. The department encouraged parents to check Halloween candy and other snacks for indications they were tampered with.

The department has not received reports in previous years of candy or snacks containing pot being distributed to Halloween trick-or-treaters.

-- Sam Quinones

Comments

[Non-Smoker]

Like stoners would give away their stash to strangers..LOL

NON-SMOKER NOW SUPPORTING PROP 19! THANKS L.A.

[Jack Conway]

Wow.

This is perfect. This is exactly what the legalization of marijuana needs. And I'm not being facetious.

Everyone with half a brain knows the poisoned Halloween candy story is a fairytale. Once people start seeing that the opposition to the legalization of cannabis has nothing other than scare tactics to support there moral crusade, they'll quickly wise up.

[ianam]

Let's arrest Lee Baca for corruption and stupidity.

[ianam]

"you hear stories every so often"

And unintelligent people believe them.

[geeegee]

Wow.
The Dangers of Pot!
Yes!
Let's whip up some last minute reefer madness hysteria and go out and vote........ YES ON 19!!!!!
I am sick of the propaganda surrounding this harmless and beneficial plant.
.....Aspirin killed 7,500 people last year!
Get real, or get off the planet, you are using my oxygen.

[geeegee]

hahahaha!
reefer madness!
Vote yes on 19!
Thwart this kind of transparant propaganda!
Last year almost a million people died of tobacco and alcohol related deaths. Weed killed....zero.
Aspirin kiled 7,500
Prescription pain meds killed 100,000....
Quit promulgating absurd urban myths!
Shame on you!

[Hypatia]

Oh PLEASE! Times, your bias is destructive, unprofessional and downright disgusting!

[Jason]

The 'pot laced candy' story sounds m ore like anti-prop 19 propaganda than anything else. after all, what pot grower, smoker or otherwise has enough pot to spare to lace candy and just give it away? Pure bollox.

[JOE RILEY]

THANKS MY KIDS ARE SAFE FROM THAT DREADED MARIHUANA MENACE! YOU SAVED MY KIDS LIVES, LA TIMES!!! YOU ARE HEROS!!! YOU AND SHERIFF LEE BACA ARE REALLY HELPING THE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DaddyBalls]

who can afford to give pot away, I want to meet them,they can share it with me, ...dam, they make candy, why lace it, pots not cheap...

[DaddyBalls]

Feds are worse, they dont care about the peoples choice, like there paid to harras every day people that vote, why bother voting, they dont honor our votes anyway, they do as they please...there motto, screw the people..

[Willie Wonka]

Candy: $0.30 per ounce
Pot: $300.00 per ounce

Sheriff Baca's warning of pot-laced candy: Priceless!

[Stephanie]

I find it fascinating that "Reefer Madness" is still in full effect. Each edible is clearly labeled and quite expensive. To assume the general public would attempt such an act is quite ludicrous. By making such a statement to the public, they are creating a new fear for parents, which, in practice has worked. What makes this article fodder for critical thinking college courses, is the final statement of "The department has not received reports in previous years of candy or snacks containing pot being distributed to Halloween trick-or-treaters."
The media has elected to not be a news source, they have become part of the misinformation machine that is so prevalent in this country. By running another article that states "Prop. 19 Support fading" with only 1,500 polled in a city of millions, it seems the intention is to create fear in the public, rather than give a full informative view for the public to have the ability to make an informed choice/opinion.
By running such an article, is the L.A. Times taking a side in the issue? Should that not be part of the Opinions section? Creating mass hysteria via the press is not new, however, I would think this newspaper organization, with a fine history of bringing the news to the public would not stoop to such a tactic that is usually reserved for the Daily News. How disappointing.

[Don Nelson]

If I could afford treats from a dispensary, those little monsters would have to pry them from my cold hand.

[Bob Kaufman]

Oh good heavens. This is obvious fearmongering by a Sheriff who is obviously opposed to Prop. 19. Note to Sheriff and Deputy Fife: man up and go after real criminals.

[happy thoughts]

I get embarrased when people believe eveything they hear and or read. I think it wastes the state's money when the d.a. press's charges against marijauna offender's.

[Jack]

What about coke cans with razors inside?

Scare tactics like these are used near election time so that Police departments all over the state get their unfair share of our resources. The sad thing is that these scare tactics work.

[TPanonymous]

What a bunch Bull****!!! This is the same as the LSD laced iron on tattoes. and the razor blades in candy. and the neddles in the sandbox.... Stupid move Baca. Gusse we see on voting day where ur budget is going idiot!!!

PROPOGANDA!!!! What is this Soviet russia!!!

Those Pot laced candys and baked goods at the clubs, cost upwards of 10 bux a piece! Who the hell is giving that out??? 10 bucks to every kid?? the sheriff apears to bel;ive that the Sheepeople are idiots, and granted some stupid soccoer mom read this and is probably freaking out right now....

BUT THERE IS JUST NO TRUTH TO THIS!!!!!

F*** THE LA SHERIFFS!!!! Propaganda spreading Nazi Fascists!!!! Jospeh Gobbles WOULD Be prouf of u MR BACA!!! IDIOT!!

[rcs]

it is fascinating to see how the media is being exposed for the rightwing, capitalist tool that it is by this marijuana legalization vote.

They are going right along with the scare tactics on this one. The media aint blinking an eye. Doing their propaganda bit with a straight face.

[LA Times = Fox News]

What a crock.

This is obviously total nonsense, and just something to scare the white people into voting no on 19.

You should be ashamed for running this completely bogus piece of fear-mongering. Idiots.

[amy]

hate to break it to you, folks, but pins, needles & razorblades in candy isn't a myth, although i'm sure many of you would like to believe so: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/mayhem/needles.asp

still...i highly doubt pot-laced candy is a real issue.

[Robert Stevenson]

Sheriff Baca is either smoking crack or is in the pay of the Mexican Drug Cartels to make such an asinine statement prior to this election. Yes, there are edible cannabis products, including candies, sold at medical marijuana dispeneries. But these forms of medicine are quite expensive and are not going to be handed out like Snickers. Why does Sheriff Baca prefere the status quo, where 60% of the Mexican Drug Cartel's profits come from the illegal marijuana trade? Is he being paid off by the gangsters in Sinola? The illegal marijuana trade is California's largest agricultual crop at 14 Billion Dollars a year. If Prop 19 passes, the illegal marijuana trade will collapse. If people can grow their own for their personal consumption without fear of arrest and prosecution the drug cartels will be crippled. The 14 Billion Dollars now going into the underground economy, much of it to the Mexican Drug Lords, will instead be spent in legally and be taxed. I wonder how much Sheriff Baca has recieved from the alcolhol industry as political contrubutions over the years.

[kevin]

The sheriff department would rather arrest cannabis users and growers. It's easier and safer for them then actually doing their real job and going after rapist, murderers and such. You know REAL criminals.

This kind of deceitful behavior is what reinforces my disdain for law enforcement. I can hardly say I am surprised.