Kids hospitalised after eating counterfeit Nerds laced with THC

Counterfeit candy laced with tetrahydrocannabidiol – the active ingredient in cannabis – have hospitalised two children in Utah in the US.

An 11-year-old and a five-year-old were taken to a hospital late last week after eating fake copies of Ferrara’s Nerds Rope sweets that had been donated to the Utah Food Bank. The knock-offs were presented in nearly identical packaging, modified to indicate the THC content by adding the word “Medicated” to the label.

Three other children reportedly consumed the candy, but did not require medical treatment in hospital. Ferrara tweeted that its logo had been misappropriated and the product was counterfeit, and issued a statement stressing that that “Nerds products donated directly by the company…are safe to consume.”

Earlier this year, police in New Jersey busted a gang selling THC-infused NERDS as well as other candies like Mondelez’ Sour Patch Kids, and there have been a string of other incidents involving fake Ferrara products in the last couple of years.

Ferrara put out a statement denouncing the knock-offs after police in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts uncovered THC-laden candy worth upwards of $1m.

Image source: Roy City Police Department