Wisconsin sheriff warns parents should be aware of drugs packaged like candy

FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WGBA) -- As children prepare to go back to school, the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office is warning parents about drugs in deceptive packaging.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office is warning about products that are marketed like candy but contain THC and psilocybin. A local clinician says THC can be dangerous for juveniles.

"You look at the marketing of how these drugs are being sold and displayed and marketed... they're targeting kids," Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt claims. "I mean, they're packaged as treats."

Waldschmidt said earlier this week, a deputy conducting a traffic stop found a box full of products containing THC and psilocybin mushrooms in the car of an 18-year-old Madison man.

Waldschmidt said these colorful packages may look like food or candy, but the THC and mushrooms in the products can be dangerous for kids who may be confused by the marketing.

"It's important for parents this day and age to know what's out there," Waldschmdit said.

Waldschmidt said this isn’t the first time law enforcement has encountered products like this.

"Our school resource officers come across these products in their work in the schools," Waldschmidt said.

"THC can be dangerous for kids," said to Tricia Fauska, a clinical supervisor of addiction medicine at SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac.

"The thing with juveniles and kids is a lot of times [symptoms are] going to be really increased anxiety, which you can also see in adults," Fauska said. "But, a child's brain isn't fully developed, so it can cause permanent damage. It can cause cognitive delays."

With the school year starting soon, Waldschmidt said it’s important for parents to be aware of products like these.

"Drugs don't necessarily come in a green plant or a white powdery substance or, you know what traditional drugs look like in its raw form," Waldschmidt said.

Fauska says it’s important for parents to have an open conversation with their children about drug use, and create an environment where children are comfortable expressing any concerns.

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