THC-laced Cheetos discovered in Crenshaw County

CRENSHAW COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - Law enforcement officials in Crenshaw County are sounding the alarm to residents after finding a THC-laced snack that could easily find it’s way into the hands of children.

Luverne Police Capt. Mason Adcock said an officer in the county came across what appeared to be a bag of Cheetos, but upon further inspection found that they were infused with THC.

THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana. The marijuana-laced spinoff of the popular cheese snack is packed with 600 milligrams of THC.

“We’ve seen before in the past things like gummy bears or candies laced with THC or THC oils added to them and things like that, but I would say this is the first time I’ve ever seen Cheetos,” Adcock said.

The packaging is so similar to a regular bag of Cheetos that it can be hard to spot the difference between the popular snack item and the marijuana edible. Law enforcement is concerned it might fall into the hands of children who are unware of the potential harm it could cause.

“I could see where anybody could not realize it’s a THC related product. Even trained officers could easily look across it if they are not paying attention,” Adcock said.

“We just want to make sure our children are not getting a hold of something like this. It can be dangerous for an adult because there is a potential for overdose,” Adcock went on to say, “Not everybody reacts the same way to THC, or any drug for that matter, so there is a significant concern with someone getting a hold of this and overdosing on it without even realizing they’re going to overdose on it.”

The manufacturer of the disguised edible, as well as where it originated, is still unknown Adcock said. The single bag of THC-laced Cheetos that Crenshaw County law enforcement found was in the Brantley area and is the only bag law enforcement is aware of.

“It’s still under investigation right now. We are hoping this is just a random thing and it’s not something that’s going to become prevalent here,” Adcock said.

Crenshaw County law enforcement officials have made local schools aware of the situation.

“We reached out to local schools as a public safety announcement more than anything. We wanted to make sure that administrators were able to pass this information on to the children,” Adcock said.

To the Luverne Police Department’s knowledge, so far no one has been hurt as a result of this product.

“Nobody has been hurt that we are aware of,” Adcock said. “That’s not to say there hasn’t been something happen that has not been reported to law enforcement.”

The biggest thing you can do is make yourself aware of the THC-laced snack item and be aware of suspicious packaging, Adcock said.

“If something’s given to you, make sure you’re familiar with what it is, make sure it’s sealed, and make sure you trust the source it came from,” Adcock said.

If you come across any THC-laced Cheetos, or any other suspiciously packaged food item, you are asked to contact law enforcement. Adcock said they will take the item from you for further investigation.

WSFA reached out to Frito-Lay Friday afternoon – the snack brand of Cheetos- and the company said they are very concerned about this spinoff packaging. They provided us with the following statement:

“The health and safety of consumers is our highest priority. Frito-Lay does not manufacture edible cannabis snack products, and any packaging containing THC claims is not associated with our company or brands. We continue to pursue entities selling products which create consumer confusion by illegally infringing on our trademarks and packaging design.”

With the exception of some CBD products, marijuana is illegal in Alabama.

There are no regulations for sales of CBD products that fall below the 0.3% THC threshold. Businesses or individuals that sell any cannabis product containing more than the legal amount of THC can be charged with a felony, face a sentence of two to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $30,000.

Sales of cannabis to a minor can be punishable by a 10 years-to-life sentence and a maximum $60,000 fine.

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