Police issue warning about dangers of cannabis edibles after man stopped on M1

Police have issued a warning to parents to be alert to the signs and dangers of cannabis edibles this summer. 

The warning came after a man pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply drugs following the discovery of almost £50,000 worth of cannabis and cannabis gummies.

Reuben Parker, 23, of Vicarage Farm Road, Peterborough, was arrested following a road traffic collision on the southbound M1 between junctions 12 and 13 on the afternoon of Friday 24 July.

When officers from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Roads Policing Unit attended the incident, they found a substantial quantity of drugs, including multiple packets of cannabis gummy sweets, packaged to look like popular brands of children’s sweets.

Detective Constable Emilia Tolomeo, from Bedfordshire Criminal Investigation Department, said: “This was a substantial quantity of drugs that have been taken off the streets and it serves as an important reminder to everyone of the dangers of cannabis edibles.

“Parker had gone to considerable effort to make these sweets look as close to the real thing. We are urging parents to be vigilant and be aware of what your children are buying or receiving from others. 

“We are advising parents to be aware of what ‘sweets’ their children may have in their bedrooms and bags.”

Tell tale signs to look for on the packets are slightly different spellings of the product name, along with altered or fake logos. They are also likely to have information about how strong the cannabis content is.

Drug-infused sweets can be dangerous to anyone. It can be difficult to know the strength and exact contents of edibles purchased. It is also likely that the products may contain other chemicals than cannabis.

The effect of consuming edibles takes longer than smoking cannabis. This can lead to young people thinking that it hasn’t worked and consuming more which risks overdosing. In addition, the effects can be more intense and take longer to wear off. 

Parker was also charged with driving without insurance and driving a vehicle on an invalid license. He will be sentenced in September.