Colorado Health Officials Pushing To Ban Most Forms Of Edible Marijuana

With Halloween coming up, law enforcement officals Colorado have been warning parents about pot-laced candies or treats that might find their way into kids’ bags this year, now that recreational marijuana is legal in the state. And in order to decrease the likelihood of pot product confusion in the future, health officials are now pushing the state to ban most edible forms of pot, including brownies, cookies, cakes and most candies.

The only remaining edibles would be lozenges and some liquids if the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment gets its way, reports the Associated Press.

Officials told state marijuana drug regulators that many pot products “are naturally attractive to children” and violate the law’s “requirement to prevent the marketing of marijuana products to children.”

The recommendation from the department was seen by the AP, ahead of a third meeting today that would lay out rules for what kinds of markers or colors edible products would need to have, to keep people from confusing them with regular foods. The final decision will be made by the Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division.

It’s not just the packaging the treats come in — lawmakers have told state pot regulators that they want food and drinks that have marijuana in them to look very different from regular items when they’re out of their packages as well.

As one might expect, the marijuana industry in the state doesn’t want to get rid of almost all edible products, saying the rules are overreaching and might not even be effective.

“Labeling and packaging are the best and only way to deal with accidental ingestion,” said a spokesman for Dixie Elixirs, a company that sells edible pot products. Taking those legal products off the shelves will only result in people seeking them on the black market, which could be dangerous.

APNewsBreak: Colorado seeks ban on most edible pot [Associated Press]

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