Each year, these fear mongering headlines appear. And each year, the idea of your kid getting THC in their Halloween candy is debunked

Holiday traditions are supposed to be fun, festive and family-friendly. Halloween customs are no different: The costumes. The parties. The “fun-sized” candy.

Oh, about that candy. One of the Halloween traditions scaring the bejesus out of gullible parents is that their trick-or-treating kiddos will get weed-tainted treats from a cabal of crazed evil-doing potheads.

The Great Halloween Candy Scare got a boost this year in Florida. On Monday, the Florida Sheriffs Association held a press conference once again spreading this unfounded fear that kids will get reefer with their Reese’s on Halloween night.

“We are certainly concerned about trick-or-treating this year as well,” Sheriff Jerry Demings warned. “Even though the potential for the marijuana edibles appearing this year may be somewhat minimal, it is still a threat in our community.”

For Demings and other fear-mongers out “somewhat minimal” means it just won’t happen.

When asked, Demings could not provide any instances of children receiving marijuana-laced trick-or-treat candy in legal marijuana states. Not one. Why? Because a child is more likely to get a winning lottery ticket in their bag than cannabis.

Each year, these headlines of fear and danger appear. And each year, it is debunked.

In his press conference, Demings made this audacious claim:

“It looks like any other candy. Sometimes there’s just mean-spirited people who infuse these type of products into our society to create confusion and injure our children and other people.”

The only confusion is that seemingly intelligent people continue to fall for this candy canard. It makes for a good horror story. But it is pure fiction.

California has had legal medical marijuana for 20 years. A basic search through news reports do not show a single incident of this happening. You would think ONE case would emerge in a state as large as California if it happened.

What you DO find is a lot of warnings from authorities who know better.

Enjoy your trick-or-treating this year. And when you watch the video below, take off your tinfoil hat, unless that is your costume.

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: One Man’s Journey In Pursuit Of The Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Myth Busting: Does Holding In Smoke Get You Higher? and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store.