Pubdate: Sat, 10 May 2014
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2014 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Dan Frosch

LAWMAKERS, HEALTH ADVOCATES AND POT BUSINESSES SCRAMBLE FOR RESPONSE

DENVER--Colorado officials are struggling with how to toughen
regulations on edible forms of marijuana after a rash of problems
linked to the products, including two deaths, spurred criticism that
state oversight is lacking.

Since Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana for
recreational purposes in January, entrepreneurs have created an array
of pot-laced drinks and confections--from chocolates to gummy fish to
cheesecake.

Colorado requires sellers of edible marijuana to clearly label their
products and limit the amount of the drug each serving contains to
about the same potency as a joint. But critics say that the treats
look too much like familiar children's snacks and that the labels
don't always make clear what might constitute a dangerous dose for
adults.

Colorado medical facilities received 79 calls regarding marijuana
incidents during the first four months of the year, roughly twice as
many as before the state legalized pot for anyone 21 or over,
according to the Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Colorado's
poison-control facility.

Nearly half of this year's calls involved edibles, figures show, and
seven involved children who had ingested the products.

State lawmakers had considered legislation that would have required
marijuana treats to be specially stamped, colored or shaped so as not
to be confused with snacks.

But this past week, as Colorado's annual legislative session came to a
close, lawmakers voted instead to direct the state's Revenue
Department to come up with new rules by 2016 to better identify
edibles. And they authorized a group of public-health officials and
marijuana-industry representatives to study the issue. The vote capped
a debate that exposed disagreements among lawmakers, health advocates
and pot businesses.

"Everyone agrees that there is a risk to children and adults with the
products," said state Sen. Irene Aguilar, a Democrat from Denver, at a
recent Senate committee hearing. "I think we disagree some on the best
way to fix it."

Colorado restricts the amount of marijuana's main psychoactive
ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in edibles to 10 milligrams
per serving. But products vary in the number of servings they contain,
and some consumers have reported bad experiences after unwittingly
eating more than the recommended serving.

Unlike smoking marijuana, the effects from eating it aren't
immediately apparent, so some inexperienced users consume more of the
drug-laced foods after not instantly feeling high.

"The big issue is education and personal responsibility," said Bob
Eschino, co-founder of Medically Correct in Denver, which produces
marijuana chocolate bars. "There is only so much we can do when things
are out of our hands."

While marijuana isn't believed to be lethal, two recent deaths in
Colorado have highlighted fears that those who overindulge in
marijuana edibles can harm themselves or others.

In one case in March, a 19-year-old Wyoming college student leapt off
a Denver hotel balcony after eating a commercially made marijuana
cookie containing 65 milligrams of THC. The cookie's label said it
contained 6.5 servings, police said. An autopsy found intoxication
contributed significantly to the student's death.

Last month, a Denver man shot and killed his wife after she called
police saying he had ingested marijuana candy and possibly
prescription medicine, and appeared to be hallucinating. The man is
being held on first-degree-murder charges without bond and hasn't
entered a plea.

State officials, doctors and pot-industry representatives met at
Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora late last month to discuss ways
to strengthen regulations.

Some suggested reducing the single serving to five milligrams. But
others argued that with so many different products, uniformity in
serving sizes could still prove problematic.

"In my mind there are a lot of irresponsible vendors," said Laura
Borgelt, an associate professor at the University of Colorado School
of Pharmacy and a member of the group, adding that the public didn't
understand what amount of edible marijuana was safe.

Experts say the safe amount varies per person, depending on variables
such as tolerance, and add that there needs to be more consumer
education so people are better informed on the appropriate quantities
to ingest.

Meg Collins, executive director of the Cannabis Business Alliance, a
trade group for Colorado's marijuana industry, noted that edibles had
become the main draw for visitors from out of state, many of whom may
have limited experience with pot.

"We have to be sure that those products that are posing a risk are
rethought," Ms. Collins said, but added that rule makers should also
carefully consider the impact on manufacturers. "This is a brand-new
industry," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Matt