Pubdate: Mon, 13 Sep 2010
Source: Kootenay News Advertiser (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Kootenay News Advertiser
Contact:  http://www.kootenayadvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2651
Author: Kerstin Renner

LSD-LACED GUMMI BEARS FOUND IN CRANBROOK

The RCMP in Cranbrook is alerting people about what they believe is a 
new method of disguising and trafficking drugs. While searching a 
local residence earlier this year, police located a bag of candy that 
seemed out of the ordinary and suspicious.

They decided to investigate further and sent the gummi bears to the 
drug lab for analysis. When they received the results, if confirmed 
their suspicion. The lab results showed the gummi bears were laced 
with the drug LSD, also known as Acid.

Corporal Chris Faulkner with the Cranbrook detachment says police do 
not want to create a panic, but want parents to be aware of these 
candy possibly being circulated in the Cranbrook area. "The concern 
from a safety point of view is if a child finds them," Faulkner explains.

LSD is a mind-altering, synthetic drug that creates physical and 
psychological symptoms. Faulkner says one hit of the drug has a 
significant effect on a full-grown adult, not to mention on a child. 
If youngsters eat one or even a handful of the laced gummies, their 
small bodies can overdose big time very quickly, Faulkner states.

Faulkner emphasizes this is an isolated incident and RCMP have not 
found the gummi bears anywhere else. The original stash included 
about three to four dozen of the candy, but police are not sure how 
many have been sold. Some of the gummies they found were individually 
packaged, others seemed like regular bulk candy.

It is not uncommon for LSD to be distributed an unconventional way. 
"Acid, back in the late 1960s when it became popular, used to be 
dropped on sugar cubes," Faulkner explains. He says LSD then lost its 
popularity and made a comeback about 15 to 20 years ago when dealers 
dropped the drug onto blotter paper, usually decorated with cartoon characters.

Faulkner believes the LSD candy was created as a method of hiding the 
drugs from unwanted eyes. "I would think it's merely a different 
means of trafficking," he states. There is no indication that the 
candy was intended to target children specifically. Faulkner also 
points out there is no indication that there is any relationship with 
Halloween as the candy was discovered earlier in the year.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart