Prosecutor drops investigation into cannabis-laced candy

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has closed the investigation into the discovery of cannabis in candy, citing insufficient evidence to pursue criminal prosecution. According to the OM, the case does not provide a clear picture.

The investigation began after reports of children becoming ill. The first child was hospitalized in Almelo and spent time in a coma in March of this year. A few weeks later, a second child from the same family also became ill and required hospital care. Later, a similar report came from Zeeland. At the end of May, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) reported that cannabis had been found in cola bottles produced by Haribo.

In a press release, the OM stated that two people had been arrested and questioned as suspects, which is new information not previously disclosed. However, there was insufficient evidence to suggest that the suspects were responsible for the children falling ill.

It also remains unclear where the sweets originated, and according to the OM, this cannot be traced. The Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) determined that no cannabis was present in the batches of Haribo cola bottles that were tested, meaning that cannabis did not enter the cola bottles at any point during Haribo’s production process. This result differs from the preliminary tests previously conducted by the NVWA.