With a little over a week left until Halloween, police in states such as Washington and Colorado, where recreational marijuana has been legalized, have issued a warning out to parents to be on the look out for pot-laced candy. On Thursday’s program of The Today Show, Gina Carbone, a spokeswoman for Smart Colorado, an organization geared toward tightening marijuana laws in and around Colorado, emphasized the importance of checking over all candy once kids have returned from a night of trick or treating.
In the interview, Carbone reminds parents that candy laced with with pot can look almost identical to those without the drug. She states that neither sight nor smell can help determine whether or not the candy has been laced because “some edible manufacturers buy the very same candy you see for sale in grocery stores and candy shops, and spray it with concentrated marijuana. . .because concentrated marijuana is sprayed on or infused into flavorful foods chosen to mask the taste and smell of marijuana to ease consumption, many products do not smell like marijuana” (Smart CO, 2). Carborne warns parents to check all candy and to throw away anything that they don not recognize, to make sure the candy is in its original packaging, and to stay away from all loose candy that has been removed from its original packaging.
A few weeks ago, a newspaper centered in Denver Colorado published an article informing the public that the largely popular chocolate company Hershey had sued a small Colorado-based marijuana edibles company “because the company’s pot-laced goods allegedly imitated the famous chocolate company’s products” (vox.com). Some of their products included Hashey’s chocolate bars, Hashees, Ganja Joy, Hasheath, And Dabby Patty to imitate Hershey’s brand candies such as Reese’s, Almond Joy, Heath, and York Peppermint Patties (Lopez, 6).
Although both Washington state and Colorado have legalized recreational pot, marijuana industries within each state strongly suggest keeping edible marijuana products away from children. In their warning to parents, Smart Colorado states that children who consume marijuana laced products “may exhibit extreme sleepiness, difficulty walking and breathing problems, [all of which require] immediate medical attention” (Smart CO, 5).
In my opinion, the fact that marijuana laced candy even exists frightens me. Halloween is supposed to be a fun, safe and enjoyable holiday for families around the nation – parents should not have to spend their night worrying about their child’s health and safety. For kids, the only worry that should cross their minds on halloween is where to hide their candy – not whether or not their consuming potentially dangerous treats.
Works Cited
“Colorado parents are freaking out about marijuana in Halloween candy.” Vox. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2014. <http://www.vox.com/2014/10/21/6995119/marijuana-legalization-pot-weed-edibles-candy-food>.
“Concerns grow over ‘Hallo-weed’ candy.” Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://www.today.com/video/today/56285924#56285924>.
“How to Stay Smart this Halloween – Smart Colorado.” Smart Colorado. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. <http://smartcolorado.org/staysmart/>
This topic is so relevant and it never even crossed my mind that people would potentially be handing out marijuana laced treats this year! I’m sure others felt the same and would never expect that candies and treats given to little children could be laced, as it just does not seem moral to possibly harm a child. I’m sure governments and state authorities would receive a lot of backlash from families, citizens and even people from other states complaining about the horrors of this recreational drug being inflicted on children. It is almost impossible from controlling the entire population and what type of candy they are going to be handing out. Without regulations on recreational marijuana, it could be anywhere and in full reach for children. Parents and citizens in general need to be aware and take necessary precautions to keep their kids safe. More information about Halloween and marijuana snacks can be found on this webpage http://reason.com/archives/2014/10/20/you-got-your-weed-in-my-kids-trick-or-tr
This post is very relevant because Halloween is right around the corner and if kids begin to get their hands on marijuana, whether on purpose or not, the result will be very bad. Halloween is a very fun event for children and it is sad that having marijuana laced candy is a possibility for children. Parents should be very careful because this can be very harmful to children. They should not be exposed to marijuana, especially at a very young age. Police are issuing warnings now so parents can be extra cautious.
http://reason.com/archives/2014/10/20/you-got-your-weed-in-my-kids-trick-or-tr
This is a very concerning issue with Halloween right around the corner. Washington and Colorado both have legalized the use of recreational marijuana but I wonder how this issue came about in the first place. If you lace marijuana in candy on trick or treat night not only are you a bad person, but you are also endangering the welfare of kids just looking to enjoy the night with their parents and friends. Would these states change their opinion on the use of recreational marijuana if kids end up with pot laced candy in their trick or treat bags? I’m glad you addressed the issue on parents looking out for their kids but what happens if they don’t follow them around on trick or treat night? Parents will need to educate their children on the issue so even a little kid can understand what could happen. I found some more information about the topic at hand. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/us/snacks-laced-with-marijuana-raise-concerns.html