PotShot

Bill targets 'pot' candy
Fred Lucas | NewsTimesLIVE.com | Mar 18 2006

PS: More candy craziness...

HARTFORD — Never mind inhaling. Now lawmakers want to track down those who lick.

The legislature is considering a bill to make it illegal for stores to sell marijuana-flavored candy, called Chronic Candy, arguing it could cause young people to begin using marijuana.

"To trivialize or suggest that marijuana use is a light-hearted affair runs counter to every message society ought to be sending to young people about drug use," said Sen. Andrew Roraback, a Goshen Republican whose district includes Brookfield and New Milford.

"Anything that tends to encourage or normalize drug use I think is deserving of scrutiny from the government," he said.

While the lollipops, the "sticky ickys" and hard candy aren't made with marijuana, the candies use hemp's essential oils for flavor and scent. They have names like Pot Suckers, Purple Erkle, Blue Hase and Rasta. Novio LLC of Carona, Calif., makes Chronic Candy.

"Marijuana-tasting candy should be banned because it is a gateway to actual marijuana use, which in turn leads to more serious illegal drugs," said Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. "This mocks our current prohibition."

Connecticut joins state legislatures in New York, New Jersey, Georgia and Michigan in considering a ban on a candy containing no illegal substance.

The Connecticut bill passed through the legislature's General Law Committee last week, despite opposition from the committee's co-chairman, Sen. Thomas Colapietro, D-Bristol, who doesn't really take the legislation seriously.

"The first thing I would ask my kid is how do you know what marijuana tastes like?" he said. "And if it doesn't really taste like marijuana, who is going to take the company to court over it?

"In a short session, we've got bigger fish to fry. It's just another lollipop to me. I prefer Tootsie-Pops myself, with the chocolate in the middle," Colapietro said.

Sen. David Cappiello, R-Danbury, the ranking member of the General Law Committee, also voted against the bill, questioning whether government should regulate candy flavor.

"Maybe I'm missing something, but I didn't think people tasted marijuana," Cappiello said. "These candies don't make people high or anything else. It's just the flavor. Why should we ban foods and candy for the taste if they do no harm?"

But promoting this type of product to young people is risky, said Judy Blanchard, the district health coordinator for Newtown schools.

"This sends a very bad message, and if the manufacturers aren't going to take responsibility, then the legislature should act," Blanchard said. "There is a lot of discussion nationally about this product. But it makes no sense why anyone would want the taste of marijuana."

Blanchard only knows of rare occasions where children have had such candy and hasn't seen it sold anywhere. She also said it is hard to quantify if this candy leads to drug use, but it can't help the problem.

"Both as a mom and a professional, I am opposed to cigarette candy. Does that candy mean more young people will turn to smoking? I don't know," she said. "But along the same lines, it makes drug use seem positive and fun."

A spokesman from Novio could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Even if the candy isn't the state's leading health risk, the legislature should still address it, said Rep. David Scribner, R-Brookfield.

""We should do anything we can do deter that enticement," Scribner said. "Whether there is an actual effect is hard to determine, but it could lure the interest for someone to take steps to further reckless behavior."

PS: There is a weird relationship between the pot and candy, and actual pot. The argument is that adults cannot enjoy "pot candy" because of the chiiiiildren... just as adults cannot enjoy pot itself because of the chiiiildren.

I wonder how long before root beer companies have to change the name of their product. After all it shares a lot of qualities with beer; name, carbonation, water.

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Carl Sagan Goodness Richard Dawkins Goodness