Several proposals for regulating marijuana-laced food and drink will be sent to Colorado’s legislators after a working group of industry representatives and public health officials failed to agree to rules for regulation, the Associated Press reported Monday.
The working group met for a fourth and last time Monday. They had tried to agree on rules for labeling and selling edibles that could be enticing to children.
Industry groups warned that new regulations could be illegal under the state’s constitution, while public health officials had suggested bans on more difficult-to-label products, such as granola or drinks. A leaked recommendation from health officials suggested the state “pre-approve” edibles, the Associated Press reported.
“We’ll be sending lawmakers a variety of options,” said Barbara Brohl, head of the department of revenue, which regulates the new pot industry in Colorado.
The health department’s recommendation to “pre-approve” edibles came a month after regulators suggested outlawing marijuana-infused treats, with the exception of lozenges and tinctures (marijuana extract that can be added to food).
The first recommendation brought swift criticism from the marijuana industry, where about 45% of legal sales come from marijuana-infused foods and drinks, according to the Denver Post. The government-industry working group also questioned the legality of such a measure. The Colorado constitutional amendment that legalized recreational pot allows all forms of marijuana to be legal.
“We’re governed to death, and people need to take responsibility for themselves,” said Elyse Gordon, owner of Better Baked, a Denver company that makes edible pot products including teas, energy bars and candies.
“I don’t think anyone in the industry is looking to make products for children, and we resent this idea that people aren’t responsible for the products they bring into their home,” she told the Associated Press.
However, concern among public health and law enforcement officials is real.
As of May, nine children were brought to Colorado’s largest pediatric hospital after ingesting marijuana, nearly double the previous year’s rates. Calls to poison-control hotlines have also increased, the Denver Post reports.
“The department remains concerned that there are products on the market that so closely resemble children’s candy that it can entice children to experiment with marijuana. Marijuana should not seem ‘fun’ for kids,” the agency wrote in its recommendation, according to the Associated Press.
Among edibles worrying regulators are companies such as EdiPure that spray gummy bears with hash oil, then repackage the candies for sale. Law enforcement officials are also apparently concerned about the trend. Before Halloween, law enforcement officials bought billboards over Denver, warning parents about marijuana-infused treats.
