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Under the guidelines released by the Colorado Department of
Revenue, serving sizes of edible pot products would be
restricted to 10 mg of THC, the psychoactive component in
marijuana, down from 100 mg.
Packaging would also have to alert consumers the items contain
cannabis. Child-proof packages and health warning labels would
need to be affixed to the products before they are shipped to
pot stores.
The proposals represent an effort by Colorado officials to rein
in the sale of edibles, which are especially controversial for
their potential to attract children and pot novices, with
possibly dangerous consequences.
Colorado lawmakers passed legislation in May charging the task
force, comprising pot industry representatives, health
professionals and law enforcement officials, with drafting new
regulations after two deaths possibly linked to pot-infused
foods made headlines.
Physicians in Colorado have also reported an uptick in the
number of emergency room visits by children who have ingested
cannabis-filled edibles.
The proposals must go through an administrative process before
they are folded into current laws governing the marijuana
industry.
In 2012, voters in Colorado and Washington state became the
first in the country to approve state-sanctioned recreational
marijuana for consumers 21 and older, despite a federal ban on
the drug. Federal officials have said they are monitoring how
the two states regulate the drug to ensure children are kept
away from it.
Retail pot shops opened in Colorado in January, and Washington
followed suit last month. In that state, officials have placed
restrictions on edibles that include a ban on lollipops, jelly
beans and other foods that appeal to children.
A report issued this week by the Brookings Institution said
Colorado's efforts in regulating the nascent industry were
largely successful but that its laws surrounding edibles were
lacking.
Rachel O'Bryan, a volunteer attorney with Smart Colorado, a
group that advocates the stronger enforcement of marijuana laws,
said the rules were needed to address the over-consumption of
pot by beginning users and to protect children.
"Will this solve all the problems? No, but it's a step in the
right direction," she said.
(Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis, Curtis Skinner and Peter Cooney)
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