Schools have warned parents about the rise of cannabis sweet being sold in 'child-friendly packaging' following the death of a 23-year-old law student in London earlier this month.
Young people are being urged not to buy the sweets after Damilola Olakanmi, from Ilford, died on April 2. The student ate a cannabis gummy sweet which she bought bought via a messaging app on her phone.
There are now growing concerns that the sweets are being sold in child-friendly packaging, after it was found the sweet Damilola ate came in packaging branded “Trrlli Peachie O’s”, MyLondon reported.
The Metropolitan Police have warned people about the potential dangers following the incident and a number of sweets have been recovered and are currently being tested.
Now school leaders have also expressed concerns.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “It is very worrying that cannabis sweets may come in child-friendly packaging.
"We haven’t heard any reports of these sweets being brought into school premises but, as with all problems in wider society, there is obviously a risk of that happening.”
“There is clearly a finite limit on what [schools] can do, and what they need is for people not to produce, sell and purchase such items in the first place.
"We are very sad to hear of this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the young woman who has died."
According to the Met, the case may be linked to another incident which took place last month, and saw a woman being hospitalised after consuming a cannabis sweet in Tower Hamlets.
The Met's East Area Basic Command Unit has issued a warning to the public about the dangers of illegal drugs in general, but especially those packaged as 'cannabis sweets'.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell said: "Please do not buy or consume these products. They are illegal and, because of the child-friendly packaging, they can pose a risk of accidental consumption.
"The particular batch of sweets were contained in packaging featuring Trrlli Peachie O’s branding. It has not been confirmed at this stage where the sweets were manufactured."
A spokesperson for drugs education charity Hope UK, said: “Often the packaging of these products looks very similar to well-known brands of confectionery that appeal to children, therefore, one can only assume that they are being marketed to young people.
"The main problem with any products sold as cannabis edibles, sweets or ‘gummies’ is that they are illegal substances and as such, there is no way of knowing what exactly they contain… It is certainly something that parents, schools and young people should be made aware of.”
Following Damilola's death family member and justice campaigner Richard Taylor said: “It’s a tragic warning to all young people about how they live their lives.
"They should resist drugs. Damilola was a promising young woman who should be looking forward to her future and having children of her own. She was studying law.”
Leon Brown, 37, from South Norwood, in Croydon, was arrested in connection with the incident on Friday, April 1.
He was charged with possession with intent to supply Class B synthetic cannabinoid, being concerned in the supply of a synthetic cannabinoid, and possession with intent to supply a psychoactive substance.
