Nevada Bill Would Make Marijuana-Infused Candy Illegal

Not everyone is keen on the idea of banning marijuana-infused candy. Industry leaders are pushing back against lawmakers to prevent Senate Bill 344 from passing. The state already requires that packaging of marijuana edibles not be appealing to children.

Senate Bill 344 wants to make it illegal to put sugar into edibles unless it is a baked good like cookies, brownies and cakes, according to Reno Gazette-Journal. The bill goes further to ensure that molds resembling branded products (like gummy bears and Teddy Grahams snacks) are not used. No cartoon images, balloons, fruits or even toys could be used as imagery on packaging.

Senator Patricia Farley said, “This bill is just the start.”

Farley is busy working on amendments to the bills. Her goal is to remove ban all products containing sugar. Going even further, Senator Farley wants marijuana edibles to be blandly colored, as no use of primary colors appealing to youth would be permitted.

During the bill’s introduction to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Farley said, “We have to draw a little bit stricter of a line in the sand.”

All edibles would have to display how much THC is in the product. Baked goods like cookies would have to be in opaque packaging.

Some find this stance on edibles strikingly opposite as Farley supported marijuana legalization.

Farley said, “We don’t have this kind of stuff in my home, but (my children) might go to someone else’s home and find something like this. Our society has spent 50 years trying to educate people about the effects of alcohol and tobacco, but if we make (marijuana) appealing to children, we’re telling them it’s OK.”

Some want marijuana edibles to all be in opaque packaging with limits on THC doses. Joe Pollock of the Department of Health wants to see doses limited at 25-mg THC.

Farley said, “This is another way to make sure that Nevada leads the nation in its marijuana practices.”

An advocate, Cindy Brown wonders how it’s okay for alcohol and gambling businesses to advertise with cartoon figures and mascots but it’s not okay for marijuana manufacturers?

Brown said, “Let us have the mascots. What happened to personal responsibility of parents? We keep trying to over-regulate people. What about children with cancer? We shouldn’t have to give them something yucky looking. Give them something pretty that they like. Really, really you guys.”