Police have shared images on social media showing pink and yellow sweets that look brand new but are actually repackaged in a larger bag.
Warning parents ahead of Halloween, Johnstown Police said in a Facebook post:
“The Johnstown Police would like to draw extra attention to the Nerds Rope edibles containing 400mg of THC found during a search warrant in Stoney Creek Twp.
“During this Halloween, we urge parents to be ever vigilant in checking their children’s candy before allowing them to consume those treats.
“Drug laced edibles are package (sic) like regular candy and may be hard to distinguish from the real candy.”
The warning comes after a health alert was issued in West Virginia, USA after a number of people reported Nerd Rope candies were filled with highly potent THC.
In June 2019, United States Attorney Mike Stuart said in the public health alert: “It is packaged like candy. It looks like popular candy. It tastes like candy.
“But, instead, it is a very powerful and potent way to get high.”
According to the BBC, the Ferrara Candy Company, which makes Nerds, told CNN in a statement: “This product is counterfeit and in no way associated with Ferrara Candy Company.
“We want to reassure consumers that the Nerds products they find at major retailers across the country and at nerdscandy.com are safe to consume.”
People are advised to share this information with their friends and to be vigilant about what sweets their children take at Halloween.