Colorado Thinks It’s Time To Ban Pot Brownies And Other Pot Edibles
Health officials in Colorado are asking the state’s pot industry regulators to ban pot brownies, pot candies, and indeed most forms of pot edibles from pot retailers’ shelves.
According to Yahoo News, The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment believes that pot edibles are too attractive to children, and that requirements that prevent pot edibles from being marketed to children don’t do enough to keep the pot edibles out of children’s mouths.
Edibles are hugely popular in Colorado’s retail marijuana industry, and can take the form of pot-infused baked goods (such as cookies, brownies, and other snacks), sodas, and even candies. It’s the candies that the Health Department has the biggest problem with, according to KUSA.
“To allow the production of retail marijuana edibles that are naturally attractive to children is counter to the Amendment 64 requirement to prevent the marketing of marijuana products to children. The intent of the Amendment and subsequent laws and rules was to decriminalize the use of retail marijuana, not to encourage market expansion within the marijuana edibles industry that subsequently create potential consumer confusion or mixed messages to children.”
In particular, many pot edibles are made with imported knockoff candy, which children can’t tell from the real thing, according to this Inquisitr report. Denver police have issued a video warning parents to be on the lookout for pot-infused candy in their children’s trick-or-treat bags this Halloween.
Colorado cops worried #marijuana-infused gummy bears will be given to kids for #Halloween: http://t.co/KZe7BuqWde pic.twitter.com/mZp8OR06Zj
— David Nelson (@DavidNelsonNews) October 20, 2014
According to Yahoo News, there are no official numbers of how many children have been sickened by ingesting pot edibles. One Denver hospital has reported treating nine children who were sickened by eating pot, but it is not clear if they got sick from eating retail edibles or homemade edibles.
The proposed edibles ban would essentially limit retail pot edibles to lozenges and tinctures (that is, drops). It would not affect homemade edibles.
Such a band on marijuana edibles would definitely be unwelcome in Colorado’s retail pot industry. Joe Hodas, chief marketing officer of pot-soda maker Dixie, said that banning edibles from retail shelves would simply drive customers to the black market.
“Labeling and packaging are the best and only way to deal with accidental ingestion.”
Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division, which regulates retail marijuana sales, will ultimately decide whether or not to ban pot edibles.
[Image courtesy Animal New York]
