Last year Colorado law makers officially agreed that there needed to be a clearer way to mark edible marijuana products and the new look may be taking effect soon. After several instances of people unknowingly eating marijuana infused goodies it was clear that there had to be a better way to make it plain and obvious that a food contained pot.
Octagon “Stop-Sign” with THC will Represent Edible Cannabis
Originally it was discussed to simply put a marijuana leaf on all marijuana infused products – however this idea was quickly torn down by parents who believed the leaf would in no way discourage children from eating the item.
Instead the design proposed is an octagon or stop-sign with the letters THC in the middle will be the defining symbol informing you that the food has been infused with cannabis.
There are also individuals who feel that a stop-sign is sending the wrong message – and even potentially causing children to associate cannabis with danger or in general bad things from a very young age.
The symbol not only has to be on the packaging of the food but on the food item itself. This poses a problem for edible liquids – sodas, teas and more will only be sold in single serving sizes containing 10mg of THC.
Sweet Cannabis Treats will no longer be called Candies
Another major change coming to the world of edibles in Colorado is the removal of the word candy from the list of food items. Even if the sweets are literally candy (gummies, lollipops and more) they will no longer be able to hold the title candy.
For a brief period of time they even considered taking edibles off the market all together to exterminate the problem all together – however this was immediately opposed by so many people that it was thrown out almost as quickly as it was considered.
Should the Food Itself Really Need Labeled?
Another side to this whole fiasco is should the individual food items really have to be labeled as well as the packaging? In the end, is it not the responsibility of the user to be responsible when it comes to THC consumption?
If the worry is that children will get into the food then perhaps the problem is on the individuals, not the items. After all, would you live your Jack and Coke on the table where your toddler could reach and drink up when you aren’t looking? No, of course not.
So why should it be any different with marijuana? Labeling the outside packaging is important for many reasons and I will not argue that fact. However, shouldn’t it be the responsibility of the individual to use and store their cannabis edibles in a safe manor and out of reach of children?
What are your thoughts?
Should marijuana products be labeled? Is the chosen “symbol” teaching our children to fear cannabis all over again? Should the label be on the food item itself or is just the packaging enough?
