Two Delta residents have been charged under the Cannabis Act following a year-long investigation into the discovery of edibles among Halloween candy in 2020.
Adam MacGillivray and Vanessa MacGillivray (a.k.a. Vanessa Clayson) are each facing two counts of possession for the purpose of distribution and one count of altering cannabis by use of an organic solvent.
“Charge approval on this investigation came at a timely point,” says Insp. Guy Leeson. “Fortunately, last year, the parent spotted the suspicious candy before anything was consumed. And we had no other similar complaints related to trick or treating. “
He says the incident should serve as a valuable reminder for parents to always check their children’s Halloween candy, before allowing them to consume any treats.
In November 2020, a Delta constable was reviewing an anonymous Crime Stoppers tip regarding suspected Cannabis Act violations. Her work led her to an associated website.
The same constable then also reviewed a Delta Police file on an incident which occurred Halloween night, 2020. The file described how marijuana edibles packaged with a distinctive cartoon style logo had been found in the treat bags of two children, aged eight and nine years old. At the time of the initial complaint police had been unable to pinpoint a suspect residence.
During her follow-up, the constable realized there were similarities in the packaging. Shortly thereafter, police executed a search warrant on a suspected illegal cannabis extraction lab on Nov. 20, 2020, in a residential neighbourhood in North Delta.
“She did some really good leg work on this file,” says Leeson. “The Delta Police is well known for its ‘No Call Too Small’ approach, which many think of when they hear about our officers doing things like changing a tire for stranded motorist. But ‘No Call Too Small’ also means that our officers have the time to review files, and make important connections that could otherwise be missed. Those small things can become pretty large investigations.”
Following the search warrant by the DPD Crime Reduction Unit, police determined the targeted dwelling was dedicated to cannabis production, extraction, packaging for street sale, as well as advertising. Thousands of cannabis edibles were seized in addition to associated packaging and labelling materials and equipment.
