News

Police seize thousands of counterfeit cannabis-laced candy bars

Published on November 8, 2024 by Pat Bulmer

Photo: Contributed/RCMP

More than 120,000 cannabis edibles, 500 pounds of cannabis bud, and a lot more, were seized in a huge Vancouver Island bust last month.

Police executed search warrants at two dispensaries and five residences on Oct. 3. Six suspects were arrested.

The edibles were packaged to look like popular brand-name candies.

Green Coast Dispensary in Port Alberni and Coastal Storm Dispensary in Lantzville, near Nanaimo, were raided. Search warrants were also executed at a suspected stash site in Port Alberni, and a storage and production facility adjacent to Coastal Storm Dispensary, police said in a news release issued near the end of the month.

The following items were seized:

• More than 120,000 cannabis edibles with packaging resembling popular brands of chocolate bars, potato chips, nacho chips, honey and other treats;
• Three kilograms of psilocybin mushrooms, 1,740 psilocybin capsules, 400 psilocybin chocolate/candies and a multitude of other psilocybin products;
• 2 pounds of pressed cannabis resin;
• 500 pounds of cannabis bud;
• At least 19 pounds of shatter;
• 5,000 cannabis vape cartridges;
• 5 vehicles;
• 2 ATM machines containing cash;
• 164 master cases of contraband tobacco (equating to 82,000 packs of cigarettes);
• $400,000 in cash;
• A shotgun and other paraphernalia.

Although the candy bars and chips resembled professionally manufactured and packaged products, they were produced in the unsanitary modular trailers, police said. A preliminary assessment of the edibles indicated they had been treated with unknown amounts of THC, and likely cross-contaminated with other drugs and substances present in the trailers.

“Given the highly contaminated and unsanitary conditions of the illicit drug production facility where these cannabis edibles were being produced, it is possible that the consumption of these products can lead to serious health risks,” said Chief Supt. Stephen Lee.

Legal cannabis products, including edibles, must use child-resistant plain packaging. “This includes restrictions on logos, colours, and branding as well as specific display formats about how product information must appear on the label,” the federal government explains.

Federal RCMP, the BC gang unit (CFSEU), Criminal Intelligence Service BC and local detachments were involved in the raid.

“Numerous drug-offence-related charges are being pursued,” the release said.

Police were targeting an organized crime group involved in production and distribution of illicit drugs, and contraband tobacco.

A few days later, police announced they had dismantled “the largest and most sophisticated fentanyl and methamphetamine drug superlab in Canada,” near Falkland in the Southern Interior of BC.

And in other RCMP-cannabis news, police in Halifax reported two young trick or treaters found a dozen pre-rolled joints in their Halloween treat bags. Police have narrowed their search down to a couple of streets.