World and people

NEW YORK - Connecticut Tuesday joined a growing
effort to weed out marijuana-flavored candy from store shelves
when its attorney general said he would sponsor a statewide ban
on "Pot Suckers" lollipops.

Five other states have either banned or are considering a
ban on the candy, causing New Jersey distributor ICUP to
suspend further sales of the green candy as of June 28.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the
candy was being sold in novelty stores in large malls
throughout the state, marketed with slogans such as "Every lick
is like taking a hit."

The candy, which is flavored with hemp essential oil, does
not contain THC, the hallucinogenic compound in marijuana, but
Blumenthal called it "a gateway product" that "glamorizes drugs
for children."

The candy has been banned by the Chicago City Council and
in Suffolk County, New York. The New York City Council and the
states of Michigan, New Jersey and Georgia are considering
legislation to ban them.

ICUP president Steve Trachtenberg said reaction to the Pot
Suckers "borders on ridiculous."

"Is it a novelty? Yes. Was it meant to encourage kids to
use drugs? Absolutely not," he said, noting that more than 70
percent of U.S. candy consumption is by adults.

Trachtenberg said that in addition to suspending
distribution of Pot Suckers because of the backlash, his
company has put on hold plans for related items, including a
hemp-flavored chocolate candy Buzz Bar.

Other marijuana-flavored candy products have found their
way to the market place in recent months including "Kronic
Kandy," made in the Netherlands and sold in the Atlanta area,
and items from the Mary Jane Candy Company including "Ganja
Pops" and "Icky Sticky Nuggets."

# posted by Mike @ 11:22 PM