THURSDAY, July 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Several companies are selling copycat food items that have the potential to trick people, including children, into consuming dangerous quantities of cannabis.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission warned six companies about selling these copycat food products that contain delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as delta-8 THC, a substance found in the cannabis sativa plant. The snack foods with delta-8 THC can be mistaken for regular chips, cookies, candies, and gummies, according to the FDA.
“Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of THC, with many who have been sickened and even hospitalized after eating ‘edibles’ containing it. That’s why we’re issuing warnings to several companies selling copycat food products containing delta-8 THC, which can be easily mistaken for popular foods that are appealing to children and can make it easy for a young child to ingest in very high doses without realizing it,” FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., said in an agency news release.
The FDA sent warning letters to Delta Munchies, Dr. Smoke LLC (also known as Dr. S LLC), Exclusive Hemp Farms/Oshipt, Nikte’s Wholesale LLC, North Carolina Hemp Exchange LLC, and The Haunted Vapor Room.
Delta-8 THC has psychoactive and intoxicating effects. It has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use in any context, including when added to food. People who have consumed these foods have reported serious adverse events to the FDA, including hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness.
In June 2022, the FDA warned consumers about eating foods containing delta-8 THC. At that time, it had received 125 adverse event reports starting in January 2021, related to children and adults who consumed these edible products containing delta-8 THC. Among the reports were 10 that specifically mentioned the edible product was a copycat of a popular snack food.
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