Proposed New Rule: Colorado Edibles to be Clearly Marked with a ‘Stop Sign’

   
| August 12, 2015 3:52 pm | 0 comments

If you live in Colorado, your favorite marijuana edibles may soon have a very different look. According to a draft of new rules just released by state marijuana regulators, all edibles would be required to be marked with an octagon-shaped “stop sign” with the letters “THC” clearly visible. Additionally, the state is considering banning the use of words that appeal to children, like “candy,” on packaging. These proposed rules are the result of a working group that convened on August 5th (and then again this last Tuesday) to hammer out details of labeling requirements the Colorado House passed in 2014. That law, House Bill 1366, was designed to “protect people from the unintentional ingestion of edible retail marijuana products; and ensure that edible retail marijuana products are readily identifiable by the general public.”

Edibles have been a major point of contention in Colorado, especially after a slew of negative press surrounding the accidental consumption of edibles by children that resulted in emergency room visits. An adult man was also hospitalized last year after unknowingly eating a cannabis-infused chocolate. Earlier this year a different set of rules went into effect requiring child-proof containers, maximum dosages of 100mg of active THC per unit (10 mg per “serving”), and clearly-marked labels indicating the amount of THC within the product. These rules, too, were the direct result of widely-reported and tragic mishaps, including a man who died after jumping off of a hotel room balcony under the influence of an extremely high dosage of THC consumed in the form of a cookie.

With edibles making up an estimated 45% of total cannabis sales in the state, smart regulation is extremely important. Every child who accidentally eats a marijuana-infused “Sour Patch Kid” and every adult who falls ill after eating a chocolate they didn’t know contained THC is not only a person with jeopardized health, but a weapon that can be used against the legalization movement. It appears that much of the marijuana industry is supportive of these rules, and advocates as well as industry representatives were present at the working group that came up with these rules. A public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for August 31st and/or September 1st.

 

Alibi writes weed news right here at Marijuana Politics, and infrequently updates The Stoner's Journal. You'll find him reviewing weird bands and editorializing here and there and from time to time.