Cannabis sweets branded to look like Haribo and Skittles are being widely sold to children on TikTok and Instagram, according to reports.
Police in southeast England have warned the brightly coloured packets that are falsely labelled as popular sweet brands are attractive to young people.
At least six children, the youngest only eight years old, have been taken to hospital after eating the sweets.
The illegal sweets, known as gummies, are being sold openly on all the popular social media sites including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat, as reported by Sky News.
These particular sweets contain high levels of THC which is the chemical in weed that gives a user a high.
They have no association with the brands shown on the sweets’ packaging.
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Burns, from the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), said the cannabis edibles were being eaten by boys and girls under 18, and mainly those at secondary school age.
He warned the gummies have worrying side effects such as loss of consciousness.
The detective said: “The way they are branded to look like sweets suggests they are being marketed at children, but worryingly also means that they could easily fall into the wrong hands.”
He urged anyone with information on the sale of the gummies or fears a child is being exploited in their sale should contact the local police immediately.
Social media companies told Sky News they have strict policies in place which prohibits the buying and selling of any drugs, and said they actively monitor their platforms.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, said moderators removed 98 per cent of content about the gummies content in the last quarter as part of an active effort to collaborate with the police.
Most of the related accounts and search terms have now been banned on the social media sites, the firm said.
