MUSHROOMS HIDDEN IN CHOCOLATE BASE

Unsuspecting Children Could Consume Drugs Unwittingly

Powell River RCMP are warning parents to be especially vigilant after
a disturbing drug arrest in Powell River, Tuesday, April 1.

"A lot of parents wouldn't give it a second thought if they saw
these," said Powell River RCMP Corporal Dennis Blanch, holding some
psilocybin mushrooms in a chocolate base and wrapped in decorative red
foil. For all intents and purposes, the small packages appear to be
store-bought chocolates.

Blanch had a plastic bag full of the disguised magic mushrooms,
weighing between two and four kilograms, taken from the residence of a
29-year-old man who had been the subject of police investigation for a
year and a half.

Blanch, head of Powell River RCMP's general investigation section and
drug unit, said that in addition to the psilocybin, police also
confiscated "just shy of" 200 marijuana plants in a "clone state,"
ready to be moved, as well as extensive equipment for an indoor
marijuana grow operation. A small amount of crystal meth was also
found at the site. Police will be sending away samples of the drugs
for testing.

"It's important to put out an alert for parents, adults and educators
about how drugs are being packaged," Blanch said. "Unknowingly,
children could ingest one of the chocolate-like mushrooms. The
packages that we have seized could be highly hallucinogenic."