A group of lawmakers and school officials are planning to rally outside Long Beach City Hall to urge the state to ban THC-laced snacks being sold on the South Shore.
Concerns have been rampant over the snacks, which look very similar to classic cookies, but actually contain the active ingredient in marijuana.
For example, instead of Chips Ahoy, one package says Trips Ahoy, and the popular Oreos are packaged as Stoneo.
Because the cookies are made from a slightly different compound which comes from hemp, they’re technically legal right now.
A warning came in a message to families from the Long Beach superintendent, who wrote, „I am sure you are as horrified as I am at the way these are obviously targeting children and young people. My nightmare is that young children might consume these without even realizing what they are.”
Addiction specialist Jeffrey Reynolds, with Family and Children’s Association, says products like these are especially harmful to children.
„When we’re talking about children, we’re talking about developing brains,” says Reynolds. „We’re talking about developing body parts and organs and the possibility of poisoning is very significant. The possibility of long-term damage is in the mix.”