Senate and Pot Brownies: Bill Could Double Trouble for Medical Marijuana Treats

[Ganjarden]

Medical marijuana users may not have the option of taking a spoonful of sugar with their medicine if a new Senate bill makes it through the House.

Last Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that would double the penalties for people who sell drug-infused sweets.

The bill has garnered support from unexpected quarters. Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), says that "those who say marijuana is medicine had better be prepared to market it as such - and not as candy."

Further, says St. Pierre, those who sell pot-infused brownies, cookies and other "medical edibles," or "medibles," have reason to be worried, because, in his opinion, the bill is written broadly enough to include them.

As written, the "Saving Kids From Dangerous Drug Act," introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, would increase penalties two-fold for those who make or sell marijuana that is:

* combined with a candy product;
* marketed or packaged to appear similar to a candy product; and
* modified by flavoring or coloring the controlled substance with the intent to distribute, dispense, or sell the controlled substance to a person under 18 years of age."

Medical ediblesare a very significant part of the multi-billion dollar medical marijuana industry, says St.Pierre.

And some people cross the line, especially in advertising, he says.

Some alternative papers run ads for pot in four different ice-cream flavors. "It has a child-like appeal," he says of one such ad. "I don't think that was the notion of people who put out this ad, but that's what it looks like."


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: CBS News
Author: Aina Hunter
Copyright: 2010 CBS Interactive Inc.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Medical marijuana users may not have the option of taking a spoonful of sugar with their medicine if a new Senate bill makes it through the House.

Last Thursday, the Senate passed a bill that would double the penalties for people who sell drug-infused sweets.

The bill has garnered support from unexpected quarters. Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), says that "those who say marijuana is medicine had better be prepared to market it as such - and not as candy."

I'd been dead-set against this bill right up until last night when I happened to see pictures posted here of some cannabis-containing products (one was called Narc). Half of the packages looked like they were created with the express purpose of catching children's (and those with the developmental-level of same) attention!

Some time back, cigarette manufacturers were told to stop using cartoon characters and the like in their advertising, packaging, and products because they were likely to catch the eye of and to appeal to children. Now without approaching the health aspects of whether or not cannabis and its active ingredients might in any way be harmful to children, the issue of making cartoon-style packaging for a product that is generally accepted as being for adults (with some exceptions when a doctor so prescribes) is pretty much the same - there's no appreciable need to do so.

A five-year old that gets hold of some kind of tobacco product with a cartoon camel on it and eats some of it is probably going to get ill and vomit - and not do it again. If that same five-year old gets hold of a cutesy cannabis chocolate bar, he's quite possibly going to eat the whole thing.

I dunno, it just seems wrong. So... I think that a bill such as this one is a bad thing. I'd would have hoped that the makers of candy-type cannabis edibles wouldn't have gone to the lengths of using such packaging. It's pretty much a given that there's NO need to do so in order to get people to try the product, lol. Maybe the threat of legislation such as this will be enough to get the makers of these products to go with more adult packaging.

If not... Maybe if the bill passes, that will do it.

(And BE AWARE that I have nothing against edibles containing cannabis! I have been known to consume them myself. But unless you are marketing your products to children, you shouldn't place them in packages that will appeal to children. And if you ARE marketing such products to children... Have fun in jail.)

 

[greengo840]

This bill is excrement that should go nowhere beyond the surface of Feinstein’s stomach. Let her roll in it. Punish those that sell to kids yes, but go fug yourself if you’re telling me I can't make Cookie Monster shaped treats for myself.

 

[Steve McStoferson]

so why is it only children that ice cream appeals to? I guess as adults, we aren't allowed to like things that kids like.

 

[Be Irie]

Some of us adults are still children at heart...

 

[Mama Train]

Wow...is it me or is it easier to regulate the marketing and sale of the products rather than make a laws that forbid a common delivery for our meds and turn us once again into criminals. I agree the appearence of candy represents a danger to children (remmember grandpas ex-lax??) but that can b controled just like packaging for any other medication. Parents and caregivers have no such risks when it comes to access to alcohol, perscription meds, tobbaco....come on really?? intent to distrubute to children?? This means if Im bakin the brownies at home I can get arrested??? Small minds cant figgure this out? Its just another feeble attempt to demonize weed and turn patients into criminals.
The industry can do us all a favor and get real in the packaging and marketing. This is just all soooooooo stupid!

 

[Weed420]

So know were going to do the same thing to MJ that we did to the crack, c0caine issue?
Another law that makes absolutely no sense.

 

[vaping]

i would be scared that it gets into the hands of children.

 

[YouGrowBoy]

It's the "Joe Camel" debate all over again. This time they're getting ahead of the game by passing legislation banning marketing to kids. It's really a bad bill because it too far reaching.