A Canadian grandfather was unsure of how to break it to his grandson that he couldn't have his raffle prize after he won a gift basket of cannabis edibles.
Keith Redl's eight-year-old grandson was the not-so-lucky raffle winner of a cannabis-themed gift basket during a youth hockey tournament in British Columbia.
Based on the advertising, the family believes the products are worth up to $200 (NZ$238).
"Each team is usually responsible for putting a gift basket or prize package together with a minimum value of $50 (NZ$59.50)," Redl told CTV News.
Redl's grandson attended the tournament with his father, who spent $10 on tickets for the eight-year-old to bid on the prizes he liked.
"All he saw was like chocolate and chocolate fondue and he put a ticket in this bag," Redl explained.
"At the end of the tournament… [they were] notified that he won the one prize - and it was this prize of $200 worth of pot."
Pictures of the prize show a variation of chocolate edibles and other pot products, each stamped with the THC symbol of legal cannabis. A pipe and lighter were also included.
"My grandson thought he won a great prize," Redl told the outlet. "'Dad, I won chocolate!' 'No, son, there's bad drugs in the chocolate'. How do you explain that to a kid?"
In a statement to CTV News, the Dawson Creek Minor Hockey Association said the donated gift basket was intended for an adult winner and the cannabis was never exposed to the children.
The organisation claimed the child's father was informed the prize contained pot products and was given the option of not accepting it.
"The winner chose to take the prize, their identification was checked to ensure they were of legal age (19+) and the donor then delivered the basket to the winners," it claimed.
"The tournament is organized by volunteers and their objective is to have a fun tournament and raise money... to allow hockey to be more affordable and more inclusive."
Redl remains unimpressed that the gift basket was available at a children's event, regardless of its intended winner.
"I was a policeman for 32 years and you... try to protect people from [this] stuff... there is no place for drugs at a child's hockey tournament."
