Weed edibles come in all types of shapes, sizes and forms — gummy bears, brownies, jellybeans, chocolates, hard candies… literally anything you’ve ever enjoyed while stoned. All the treats we loved as a kid can be loved as an adult with an extra kick. Therein lies the problem, kids love candy too and can’t tell when a jelly bean or a gummy bear is laced with marijuana — which can, obviously, make them very sick.
So starting this month, Colorado is banning gummy bears and other edible marijuana products shaped like animals, people and fruit. “Beginning October 1st, edible marijuana-infused products in the shape of a human, animal or fruit are strictly prohibited, including shapes that resemble or contain characteristics of a realistic or fictional human, animal, or fruit, including artistic, caricature, or cartoon renderings,” states the Colorado Department of Revenue.
The sales of edibles went through the roof ever since weed became legal in 2014 in Colorado. However, this ban should not hit the bottom line too much. Last fall, cannabis companies were required to label, package and stamp each individual marijuana product, which was a way more exhausting process than a shape ban. Besides, they can still make gummies, just not gummies shaped like bears.
The reason for this new policy is to help stop kids from eating THC by accident and ending up high. Which… seems fair. In a house where parents like to imbibe and kids abound, the possibility of unintentional dosing seems pretty high.
“This is an important step in maximizing the State’s public health and safety by keeping marijuana out of the hands of minors and raising consumer awareness,” Mike Hartman, the Executive Director of Colorado Department of Revenue explained to the Estes Park Trail-Gazette.
Don’t worry too much about the retailers in Colorado; they had a year to prepare. Other states where weed is legal have similar restrictions and California may join soon. For now, if you have any weed gummy bears you should put them on the top shelf, or eat them all at once. For safety’s sake.
