Marijuana’s Insidious Sweet Side

How unregulated legal marijuana is secretly infiltrating your food

DISCLAIMER: This is no way intended to advocate for the manufacture, importation, distribution or use of marijuana for recreational use. The content here is designed to be used to generate innovative and creative dialogue about legalized marijuana and the Homeland Security Enterprise.

Munchy Way, Rasta Reese, Buddah Finger…The only thing funny about these products are the names. Many have heard of pot brownies but THC or marijuana infused edibles are becoming all the rage and can be mixed with just about anything from candy to soda pop. It is convenient for people looking for a healthier alternative to smoking and for those looking to be more discreet. But the increased consumption of these products seem to be an unimagined consequence to marijuana’s legalization. Of the 20 states where marijuana is legal only 4 allow for retail distribution. The remaining 16 have only partially addressed the regulation of pot infused edibles. (MacCoun and Mello 2015((Footnoted))As more and more states vote or transition to legalized marijuana the risks and problems associated with such products have to be addressed.

There are several problems THC or marijuana infused problems cause. Perhaps the biggest is the manner in which they are advertised and displayed. Infusing THC with candy and packaging it in a similar fashion to popular candy snacks increases the risk of children consuming the product. Although marijuana is still illegal for consumption by anyone under 21, the THC laden products may be mistakenly eaten by children believing it to be regular candy.

Another problem is over-intoxication. Some of these products contain THC levels 4 to 5 times what could be considered safe. The fear is a person could potentially over eat thereby causing severe health complications such as anxiety and panic attacks.

It has become all too apparent that regulation is sorely needed. The Federal Government does not regulate marijuana edibles appropriately. The Food and Drug Administration does not consider it within their purview and States have not paid much attention to it. One innovative idea to self-regulate THC content has been proposed by way of a mobile phone app by a few imaginative homeland security graduate students.To find out more about their “RegulateIt” perspective and “Reeferrals” mobile app concept, and how it might help reduce the threat of unregulated THC content in our food check out this article: Https://medium.com/@reeferral/BFF1093F713D

These products may appear amusing and trendy but they can be dangerous. They may lead to inadvertent consumption by children and higher THC levels. States and municipalities who have already legalized marijuana or are planning to do so in the near future should consider how THC or marijuana infused edibles will be regulated.

What are your thoughts?

(MacCoun, Robert J, PH.D, and Michelle M, PH.D Mello. 2015. “Half-Baked — The Retail Promotion of Marijuana Edibles.” HuffingtonPost.Com. May 21. Accessed May 29, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-new-england-journal-of-medicine/marijuana-edibles_b_7347814.html?utm_hp_ref=marijuana.)