Cannabis made to look like sweets and cake being sold online sparks fear for kids

Drugs being made to look like popular brands of sweets, drinks, cake and even chocolate are being flogged on the internet, with fears they are being "designed to appeal to children".

Dozens of social media pages in Scotland have been found to advertise and post images of cannabis -laced items, with many of imitating popular snack brands. Some of these concerning items include gummies called Cannaburst, imitating the popular Starburst sweets, and even ice cream cones with cannabis-laced Nutella spread.

Campaigners have warned that these drug dealers using branding similar to sweets and snacks was "especially dangerous for children and young people".

Dozens of concerning social media pages and advertisements for fake replicas of brands to sell drugs were discovered, in an investigation by the Daily Record .

One of these included a blue packet of gummies is also branded as "Medicated Jolly Ranchers" which even used the same logo as the American sweet company.

Another advert even showed a peach lemonade being flogged on the internet with another dealer even creating a hot sauce to be for "Peri-peri chicken", referencing a popular fast food among young people.

The cannabis-laced foods did not stop at packaged goods with one account even trying to sell Oreo cheesecakes, luxury cupcakes and lollipops with the drug.

Edible cannabis could also pose specific dangers as there is a risk somebody could be taking something more dangerous than cannabis, according to FRANK. The anti-drug service said there had been cases of young people taking what they thought was cannabis edibles but had taken something containing synthetic cannabinoids rather than THC without knowing it, which could cause hallucinations, extreme paranoia and death.

Several campaigners have come out and shared their concerns against the cannabis advertised as sweets and treats on the internet.

The CEO of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, Laura Mahon said: "These products are clearly designed to appeal to children, with the use of branding similar to well-known sweets and snacks.

"We want to see greater action to prevent these products from being advertised and sold online, particularly where content can be seen by young people.."

The With You Charity National Harm Reduction Lead, Gareth Balmer, added: "Some of these products are deliberately designed to look like sweets - especially dangerous for children and young people, who may have no idea what they're taking or how strong it is. We continue to call on social media platforms to strengthen safety measures and remove accounts selling unregulated substances."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "While the UK Government is responsible for the regulation of the internet, the Scottish Government shares the concerns of many parents about young people’s access to inappropriate material online.

"That is why we have been clear in our calls for greater controls to reduce online harms to children, and we will work constructively with the UK Government to that end."