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DrugScreening.org


 
Marijuana-Themed Candy Leaves Bitter Taste
May 20, 2005

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News Summary

Community leaders in North Carolina and other parts of the country are raising an outcry against candy that tastes like marijuana, including Chronic Candy and Pot Suckers, WNBC-17 in Raleigh, N.C., reported May 10.

Chronic Candy is sold by the ounce or "nickel bag," using the tagline, "Every lick is like taking a hit." Pot Suckers are marijuana-flavored lollipops; flavored gum drops and gummi bears also are available.

"To me, it's aggravating to be in law enforcement and try and keep kids off drugs," Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison said. "And we didn't even know about it. To see drugs are in this candy ... it's disgusting."

Actually, even candy flavored with hemp contains no THC, which makes it perfectly legal. But parents and police expressed concern about the message the candy sends to kids, especially since there is no age limit on who can purchase the products.

Spencer Gifts alone has sold more than 90,000 Pot Suckers, making it one of the chain's biggest sellers. "We target people 18 to 24, and all the merchandise is for them," a company spokesperson said. "We can't control who comes out. We ask them to use their best judgment when selling merchandise. We don't do any marketing that we have this."

Steven Trachtenberg, president of ICUP Inc., the makers of Pot Suckers, is unapologetic about his product and others that are on the way. "The candy is intended for stoners," Trachtenberg said. "There is a very large percentage of people in this country who smoke pot either openly or discretely in their homes, and it's intended for them."

However, at least one lawmaker in New York has introduced legislation seeking to ban hemp-flavored candy.

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