Pubdate: Thu, 01 May 2014
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2014 The Dallas Morning News, Inc.
Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/send-a-letter/
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/117
Author: Kristen Wyatt, The Associated Press
Page: 4A

MUNCHIES THREATEN STATE'S POT EXPERIMENT

Panel Considering Warning Labels on Edible Marijuana

DENVER - Colorado's marijuana experiment is threatened by the
popularity of eating it instead of smoking it, leading the pot
industry to join health officials and state regulators to try to curb
the problem of consumers ingesting too much weed. Ed Andrieski/The
Associated Press Marijuana-infused foods are booming in Colorado's new
recreational market, but many people are consuming too much pot too
quickly, health officials say.

A task force gathered Wednesday to start brainstorming ways to educate
consumers, including a standard warning system on popular edibles,
which is the industry term for marijuana that has been concentrated
and infused into food or drink.

One idea was to fashion labels on edible pot like the difficulty
guidelines on ski slopes, a system familiar to Colorado residents.
Weak marijuana products would have green dots, grading up to black
diamonds for the most potent edibles.

"We should have a marking so that when people come in, they know what
they're getting," said Chris Halsor of the Colorado District
Attorneys' Council.

Marijuana-infused foods are booming in the state's new recreational
market.

Some choose edible pot because of health concerns about smoking the
drug. Others are visitors who can't find a hotel that allows toking
and are stymied by a law barring public outdoor pot smoking. Whether
through inexperience or confusion, many are eating too much pot too
quickly, with potentially deadly consequences.

A college student from Wyoming jumped to his death from a Denver hotel
balcony last month after consuming six times the recommended dosage of
a marijuana-infused cookie. The death underscored a common complaint
from new marijuana customers - they say they don't know how much pot
to eat and then have unpleasant experiences when they ingest too much.

Colorado already limits THC - marijuana's intoxicating chemical - in
edible pot products to 10mg per serving, with a maximum of 10 servings
per package.

Marijuana producers at the meeting warned that Colorado may drive
consumers to use untested, unregulated edible marijuana instead of pot
packages sold in stores if regulations go too far.

Dan Anglin of EdiPure, maker of many popular kinds of pot-infused
candies, held up a picture of home-cooked marijuana concentrate for
sale online. Anglin pushed for warning labels and better training for
dispensary employees but warned that rules forcing edible pot to be
too weak may simply drive customers to the black market.

"People do have an expectation of intoxication" when they eat pot,
Anglin said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt