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Message to parents about edible drugs and their risks, from the Metropolitan Police.

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Dear Sir/Madam

RE: Edible Drugs

As a Schools Team we are aware of the concerns raised recently about edible drugs and this being promoted on some social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram.

Recently the borough received an “Edibles Alert” from Healthy Young People Southwark after 13 young people in Camden were admitted to hospital after consuming sweets infused with cannabis oil.

As you may be aware, cannabis can be mixed into cakes (hash brownies), tea, yoghurt or sweets (gummies/lollipops). The amount of cannabis in these products can vary greatly and sometimes other harmful drugs are added too.

The effects of consuming edibles are unpredictable and it can be very easy to accidentally take a larger dose.

Edibles take between 1-3 hours to have an effect because food is absorbed into the bloodstream through the liver. Because it takes longer, the user may end up consuming larger amounts of the drug while thinking the drug isn't working. Overdosing with Edibles can be a greater risk because of this!

We ask that you monitor food packaging/ wrappers at home looking for wording such as CBD or THC suggesting the items are cannabis oil infused. Please be mindful of the medical needs should your child present with such symptoms, or if it becomes apparent they have consumed a drug laced substance.

If you are made aware of any social media accounts advertising these items, we ask you report this information to the Police, School or Crime Stoppers so work can be done around these accounts due to the dangers Edibles present.

Above you will see some examples of what some of the sweet packages look like and also have attached the link to Frank which gives more information and laws surrounding Edibles. www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis

Kind Regards

Southwark Safer Schools Team