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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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US: Supermarket-style labels used to sell cannabis foods
Ireland On-Line
Wednesday 22 Mar 2006 US police have uncovered a bizarre drug ring in which members were lacing sweets, chocolate and soft drinks with cannabis. Armed raids at five properties including three warehouses revealed a sophisticated operation where drugged foods were being labelled like ordinary products. Some of the professionally-produced product labels seized by investigators included Pot Tarts, Stoney Ranchers, Munchy Way and Toka-Cola. The investigation began after a tip-off that a business named Beyond Bomb, specialising in cannabis products, was being run in north California. Officers arrested 12 people and seized thousands of marijuana plants in what they described as “sophisticated indoor marijuana grows“. They also recovered a large sum of cash and two semi-automatic weapons. Special agent Javier Peña, of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), said: “In a way, this case sort of answers the question, ’What will they think of next?’ “What so many people don’t realise is that innocent children may somehow get their hands on these products and think they are just normal candy or soft drinks – thus, making this action not only illegal, but potentially tragic.” The operation took place in Emeryville and Oakland, in the San Francisco bay area, last Thursday after an investigation that began in October last year. The DEA was given information that the gang was making drug-laced foods with labels that mimicked legitimate products available on supermarket shelves. Other labels included Rasta Reece’s, Buddafingers, Double Puff Oeo, Tri-Chrome Crunch, Keef Kat, Twixed, Budtella, Puff-A-Mint Pattie, Puffsi and Bong’s Root Beer. All 12 arrested individuals have been charged with distributing marijuana. Californian state law allows the use of marijuana for medical purposes with a doctor’s recommendation. But federal law does not, permitting the DEA to take action against any marijuana grower, regardless of state law. The authorities generally target large operations with a high volume of sales and sophisticated marketing. The foods were thought to have been mixed with THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, after it had been extracted from the plants.
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