Send this page to someone via email

The Vancouver Police Department’s Gang Unit has apologized for a series of inaccurate tweets on Sunday warning about overdoses in connection with the drug “shatter.”

2/2: "Shatter" can cause temporary psychosis. Looks like toffee. This was seized in a traffic stop tonight. BEWARE. pic.twitter.com/H12OyhmvUc — VPDGangUnit (@VPDGangUnit) November 21, 2015

Shatter is a potent pot product that is made by extracting THC from the plant, then making a concentrate of up to 90 per cent THC that users then smoke or vape.

Shatter is sold in several commercial dispensaries around Vancouver, and has spread in popularity across North American in recent months.

READ MORE: What is shatter? Experts warn of dangers of new trend

The VPD Gang Unit originally tweeted: “Parents!!!! Please educate your children on the dangers of ‘Shatter’. We cannot lose any more young people to senseless overdoses.”

However, they issued an apology on Monday.

Story continues below advertisement

While well-intentioned, our tweets about #Shatter weren’t accurate & have been deleted. Our apologies. We will do better in future. — VPDGangUnit (@VPDGangUnit) November 23, 2015

British Columbia’s top doctor says THC is not a direct cause of fatal overdoses.

“If you had enough of it, it could cause anxiety attacks, it could make you very stoned, some people get paranoid, it’s been associated with psychosis, but I don’t think it’s been associated with a fatal overdose,” said Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall.

Dana Larsen, director of the marijuana reform organization Sensible BC, said making shatter is more dangerous than using it, as it’s often concocted in home labs using solvents and butane.

“These kind of products that are very potent should not be the first way you enter into cannabis use, but parents do not have to be worried about children dying from marijuana overdose. That is not a legitimate concern at all,” he said.

Story continues below advertisement

“Shatter or dabs or wax or butter, or whatever you want to call it, these products are very pure and very potent, but they don’t cause anybody to die.”