Why Kids Probably Won't Get Weed-Laced Candy On Halloween

Freaking out over the possibility that your kiddos might be coming home with trick-or-treat bags full of cannabis candies this Halloween? You might want to pop a few CBD gummies yourself and just chill out. The "drugged candy" myth may have been around since our own childhoods (or perhaps even since our parents were kids), but Halloween sadism debunker Joel Best has been following these stories for the past three decades. His conclusion after decades of research? "I don't know of anybody who's been hurt from drugs in Halloween candy," he said (via Slate). 

While it's true that the legalization of recreational marijuana in 11 states plus the District of Columbia has led to a boom in weed treats, some of which even sport copycat packaging and names like Keef Kat, Twixed, 3 Rastateers, and Rasta Reese's, the basic fact we're dealing with here is that these candies are all crazy expensive, and nobody's going to just hand them out for free. Not even to their closest friends, and definitely not to a bunch of random kiddies at the door — and not even if they're too stoned to remember the possible criminal charges and jail sentencing they might face for distributing a controlled substance to a minor.

Take, for example, the THC-laced Nerds ropes that the Johnstown, Pennsylvania police department posted about on its Facebook page as a pre-Halloween warning to parents. According to a Seattle-based dispensary worker interviewed by Slate, these particular candies would run about $50 per single-serve package and, as commenters on the FB post were quick to point out, ain't nobody going to drop that kind of cash on trick-or-treaters. Why would you even consider this, when you can just toss in a handful of Tootsie Rolls from the dollar store?

This isn't to say you should just turn the kids loose while you kick back at home enjoying a seasonal adult beverage (or your own stash of THC edibles). It's still dark, they're in costumes, and there's bound to be a few less-than-sober drivers on the streets. But once everybody's made it home safely, no need to get too worked up over inspecting your kids' Halloween loot with a microscope. Sure, go ahead and check the bags if you want, but don't let unnecessary worry spoil your appetite for those Reese's peanut butter cups you know you'll be extracting in payment. When it comes to Halloween candy-related dangers, the biggest problem your kids are likely to face (besides parental candy snitching) might just be a stern lecture from their dentist.