THC-infused snacks that look like legitimate brands found in North Carolina schools

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — They may look like harmless packets of chips and candies, but authorities in North Carolina are sounding the alarm after a statewide operation found counterfeit snacks that were actually infused with THC, the same psychoactive substance found in marijuana.

According to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office, the drug-laced snacks were seized from stores all across the state, but a Gastonia Police officer told Channel 9 that some of these products have ended up in local schools.

“You can look at the packaging and it looks like a bag of Skittles or a bag of Doritos,” said Tim Crowley with the NC Secretary of State’s Office.

The snacks look like a treat from a brand that’s trusted by consumers, and they’re often counterfeit snacks that are marketed toward children. The Secretary of State’s Office says the operation to get the snacks off the streets spanned 12 communities and included more than 50 searches at tobacco and vape shops, and gas station convenience stores.

You may be wondering why the Secretary of State’s Office is getting involved in what appears to be a drug bust, but the office has an investigative unit dedicated to trademark infringement. According to the office, going after trademarks is the easiest way to get these products out of kids’ hands.

“This is an egregious affront to these brands by infusing them with something that could be toxic to your children [or] to your pets,” Crowley said. “We are very serious about this action.”

In Gaston County, School Resource Officer Jonathan Marr tells Channel 9 that they’ve had two cases of students bringing these THC treats to school. It’s a problem that has been on the rise, and Channel 9 reported in August when a THC edible package was found in a backpack during a search at Lancaster High School.

“We don’t know what it’s made with. It could be laced with fentanyl, a high dosage of THC, anything could be in there if we ingest that, especially if we don’t know we ingested it,” Marr said.

Marr says some shops in the county are also selling empty bags for people to make and distribute their own treats. When that happens, people don’t really know what’s in the product.

“They are selling bags that are empty that have the intellectual property brand of gummy bears [or] Cheetos, and then the citizen will come in and try to create their own type of gummy,” Marr said.

The state gave a warning to sellers this time, but told them there will be future undercover operations.

“Some of these can be felonies if there are large amounts of money,” Crowley said.

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