FDA issues warning against eating five copycat candies that could be deadly - can YOU see what's wrong with them?
They might look like familiar candies, cookies and chips that are staples in most American households.
But these 'copycat' products are laced with psychoactive drugs that can kill in high doses and are especially dangerous for children.
They contain delta-8 THC, a synthetic chemical that mimics the effect of marijuana and are sold in vape shops and convenience stores.
Today, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued warning letters to the sellers of five products, including Trips Ahoy! and Stoneos, saying the makers had shown a 'complete neglect for consumer safety'.
There has already been spikes in accidental overdoses of cannabis in people who accidentally ingest edibles designed to look like regular sweets.
The above shows the five products that the FDA is warning consumers not to eat, saying they look just like popular candies - but are laced with THC
Mother Catherine Buttereit, from North Carolina, revealed her son fell ill after accidentally eating 40 THC-infused candies when he mistook them for Skittles
Delta-8 THC can cause hallucinations, vomiting, loss of consciousness, hospitalization and even death in rare cases.
Because it takes over an hour for the effects to kick in after ingesting them, there is high risk of overdosing, experts say.
In January this year, a six-year-old boy was hospitalized after he ate 40 THC-infused gummies that his parents mistook for freeze-dried Skittles.
His mother, Catherine Buttereit from North Carolina, said her son was in 'excruciating pain' and spent hours in the hospital with a freezing chest, burning head and stomach that felt like it was in knots because of the 'snacks'.
FDA principal deputy commissioner Namandje Bumpus said: 'Inadequate or confusing labeling can result in children or unsuspecting adults consuming products... that contain delta-8 THC without realizing it.
'As accidental ingestion and/or overconsumption of delta-8 THC products could pose considerable health risks, the companies who sell these illegal products are demonstrating a complete neglect for consumer safety.'
She added: 'The FDA will continue to work to safeguard the health and safety of US consumers by... taking action when companies sell products that present a threat to public health.'
The companies behind the products are: Hippy Mood, Earthly Hemps, Shamrockshrooms.com, Mary Janes Bakery Co. LLC, Life Leaf Medical CBD Center and GrowGod LLC.
Each has 15 days to withdraw the products from sale or risk facing legal action from the agencies.
The above image shows the THC-infused candies bought by the mother, who mistook them for freeze-dried Skittles
And above is pictured the shop where she bought them, which did not even ask for her ID or warn her that the products contained THC
A spokesperson for Earthly Hemps, which sold Dr Blaze Slushers, told CNN they had not sold any of the products listed within the last year.
The others did not respond to requests for comment.
It comes after the agencies also issued a warning last year over six other products, which it also said closely resembled popular candies.
Copycat food products that contain THC are extremely concerning to officials because they fear people could accidentally overdose on them, risking a range of adverse effects.
The products are also often easily purchased and readily available to youngsters — with packaging that is almost indistinguishable from many popular snacks.
At least one child has died after overdosing on delta-8 THC edibles.
In the two years to 2022, the National Poison Control Centers said they handled 10,448 adverse events from eating edibles containing THC.
Of these cases, 77 percent were among those aged 19 years old or younger and 65 percent were due to unintentional exposure.
Of those who ate the products unwittingly, 91 percent were children.
Samuel Levine, the director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, said: 'Companies that market and sell edible THC products that are easily mistaken for snacks and candy are not only acting illegally, but they are also putting the health of young children at risk.
'Those that prioritize profits in front of children's safety are at serious risk of legal action.'
In the Buttereit family's case, the boy's mother said they had been duckpin bowling in Charlotte's South End when her son requested the snacks.
He asked for them — sold in a package labeled 'Freeze Fried Zkittlez' — saying he had never seen freeze-dried Skittles before and was keen to give them a go.
'I said, "Of course, yeah, that looks cool. Let's try it." And he handed me the bag and I handed it to the cashier, she punched it in and we finished up the transaction, the mother told The New York Post.
'I was never asked for an ID. I was never informed of what I was purchasing.'
He started showing symptoms after wolfing down the candy, but Ms Buttereit only called emergency services after he told her that his water tasted 'disgusting' — which she had once heard was a warning sign for poisoning.
It was at that point when the family read the back of the packet of the candies, and found they were laced with THC.
