Along with pills laced with fentanyl and candy containing THC, police officers say they’re now seeing THC-infused drinks marketed to kids.
Drugs are now being marketed to kids in drink form, and concerningly, there is no telling how much THC or what else could be in the drinks, police said.
“So for moms and dads who see a new container, and it doesn’t look like your grandfather’s Gatorade, you need to be inquisitive and ask questions about what your children are putting into their bodies,” said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
Since August 1, 2022, Fairfax County Police have responded 26 times to a call for minors who overdosed, Davis said, both inside and outside of school.
“And we’ve seen an increase in the number of vaping overdoses. And a lot of that is just the high-octane THC marijuana. And they’re getting sick … the marijuana, in terms of the THC, is just at a higher level than ever before,” he said.
Police say THC-laced gummies and candy as well as pills containing Fentanyl are prevalent and are often found among school-aged children. The school system and police are working together to educate kids on how the unregulated drugs are made and how dangerous they can be.
Most of the packaging looks similar to what shoppers would find on store shelves, but police note that the packaging will typically say THC, or sometimes CA with an image of a marijuana plant, usually in the corner of the packaging. THC-infused drinks are made to resemble energy drinks and electrolyte sports drinks like Gatorade.
In a drug bust last week, Davis explained how officers got a tip through an unrelated narcotics investigation that a “big fish” drug trafficker was making his way north to Fairfax County.
“I’ll say that he was traveling up and down the East Coast and we received information that he was going to be traveling through Fairfax County, so we stopped him.”
Inside 28-year-old Kevin Hunter Webb’s minivan, officers found 63 pounds of marijuana, 1,000 tins of THC gummies, and 300 THC drinks, among other things.
“We’re working on him to see if he was involved in a large network. I mean, someone’s helping him do this and it’s very profitable, but it’s very dangerous,” Davis said.
Webb is facing multiple charges including drug possession and intent to distribute.
