A 53-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man face multiple charges after delivering cannabis edibles containing high levels of THC to children in Winnipeg on Halloween.

The accused, whose names have not been disclosed as they have not been formally charged in court, each face 13 charges related to criminal negligence causing bodily harm, giving a harmful substance with intent to endanger life and cause bodily harm, and distributing illegal cannabis to children.

The arrests come after police received more than a dozen reports of THC candy being found in Halloween candy given to children in the South Tuxedo neighborhood, where the packaging indicated that 600 milligrams of THC were present in the bags. Police also added that children between the ages of 6 and 16 received the food items packed in a plastic bag along with full-sized chocolate bars. The police investigation led to a home on Coleraine Crescent, where a search warrant was executed.

In the same context, Danny McKinnon from the Winnipeg Police Department said officers are looking to determine the motive, adding: "In my meeting with the investigative team, I can say that investigators believe that no one was deliberately targeted." McKinnon added that they have not confirmed whether any of the children ate the tetrahydrocannabinol candy and that the candy will be sent to Health Canada for testing to confirm whether it contains THC, continuing: "It is a very long process to retrieve the results, but investigators believe with the evidence they received that these are, in fact, THC gummies."

Additionally, four packages were recovered, and police said they have made arrangements to speak with the remaining victims and recover the leftover THC candy. They also stated that the investigation is ongoing, and parents and guardians still need to check their children’s Halloween candy, adding that if similar bags are found, people should contact the police and avoid handling the package.