Last Friday, Colorado governor John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1436 into law, effectively banning THC-infused gummies in the shape of humans, animals or fruit. These shapes will be illegal starting October 1, so stock up while you can.
A purely political move which will do nothing to curb accidental ingestion of cannabis edibles by children, this ban on certain gummy shapes is a reactionary measure by lawmakers who fear that cannabis candies attract kids.
While common shapes like bears and fish that mimic mainstream candy will be banned, cannabis gummies shaped like stars, weed leaves or other geometrical shapes are still OK to produce.
Cannabis activists must decide whether these controversial products are worth defending and demand that more detailed tracking systems be implemented in order to determine how many accidental ingestions occur and where the products that cause those incidents originate. Currently, there’s no way to know whether cannabis products consumed accidentally by kids were produced by a licensed entity, sold by a black market seller or baked at home by a friend or relative.
An unsupervised toddler will eat a cannabis candy regardless of whether it’s shaped like a bear or a star, taking no heed of a THC stamp or warning labels, so the responsibility for any accidental ingestion by a young child falls on the parents or guardians. It’s very important that consumers keep cannabis products in a secure location away from children and pets
With many millions of edibles being sold each year in the state, the number of calls to Rocky Mountain Poison Control concerning marijuana-infused foods is markedly less when compared to other products, such as dangerous pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and household cleaning products.
More information on Colorado’s laws concerning cannabis edibles:
Are Weed Gummy Bears Worth Fighting For?
New Regulations Shake Up Colorado’s Edibles Industry
Colorado Edibles Makers React to New Rules
