With Halloween here, there are raising concerns about marijuana candy. Washington State just banned gummy and candy edibles, citing youth safety.
Washington State’s Liquor and Cannabis Board announced in early October that it would reverse its earlier approvals of marijuana-infused hard candies and gummies on the grounds that they are “especially appealing to children.” The move would effectively ban the sale of most marijuana candies in the state. Producers of edible marijuana products are reeling.
Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use (in 2014), also has a ban on cannabis-infused gummies.
Lawmakers in California didn’t want the gummy bear lookalike to be legal, either. They, too, cited the candy appeals too much to kids, according to Cannabis Business Times. In fact, Assembly Bill 350 was created to prevent California companies from selling marijuana edibles made in the shape of a person, animal, insect or fruit. The bill didn’t pass, and the law regarding selling edibles states: Edible cannabis goods may not exceed 10 mg of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the ingredient in marijuana that produces the feeling of being high) per serving and may not exceed 100 mg of THC per package.
And if consumers think buying online will be a breeze, think again. In Colorado, edibles with anything more than a 0.3 percent of THC can’t cross the Colorado state line, for example. It is considered a federally illegal substance. However, CBD edibles are legal everywhere if they’re derived from hemp.
Another issue? Overconsumption. Just like the 10 or so snack-size Halloween treats eaten by many a child — and parent — it is likely easy to consume too much.
One company working to design cannabis product packages that are not appealing to children is Artisans on Fire (artisansonfire.com) the first grey market marketing agency specializing in the cannabis industry. They design beautiful, functional and compliant packaging for their clients.
With the cannabis market growing like a weed, we are sure to see tweaks and changes in state laws in the coming months.
