AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 27 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USLawmakers target marijuana-flavored candy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill that would ban the sale of marijuana-flavored candy to children in Georgia won approval from a legislative committee this morning, advancing the proposal toward a vote in the House of Representatives.
House Bill 280 calls for a $1,000 fine for those caught selling the sweets, also called “chronic candy” or “pot suckers.” The candy comes in the form of lollipops, gumdrops and other sweets.
Proponents of the legislation say the candy serves as a gateway to illegal drug use.
“This candy is really a glorification of illegal substance abuse and it is a gateway product into more dangerous things,” Rep. Terry Johnson (D-Marietta) told the House Children and Youth Committee this morning before the panel unanimously endorsed the measure.
The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee, which sets the agenda for the House floor votes. A similar measure died in the Legislature last year.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Miscellaneous
Comments
By terrence farley
February 28, 2007 10:07 AM | Link to this
I just wanted to write to congratulate the legislators who are backing the bill to prohibit the sale of marijuana-flavored candy. Isn’t there enough pressure on our children to do drugs? Do we need another effort by those who seek to legalize drug use and profit from it at the expense of our children? Thank you for your efforts. I am a recently retired assistant prosecutor and director of a narcotics stike force and have seen first hand the type of problems that this product and its advertising can create.
By Allen St. Pierrre
February 28, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this
This inane legislation is another shining example of the vapidity of the war on some drugs, notably cannabis.
Because of the foolishness and ineffectiveness of 70 years of cannabis prohibition in America, Georgia and federal legislators can’t effectively stop children from accessing untaxed and unregulated cannabis (in the same way that state governments do with taxed cash cow drugs like alcohol and tobacco products), but will effectively ban novelty candies, which, ironically, exist only because of prohibition.
With over 400,000 Americans dying annually because they choose to consume tobacco products, one logically wonders if the legislators have considered banning candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars?
Ah yes, another ‘victory’ in America’s longest, most expensive and abjectly failed war, a civil war—the war against tens of millions of American adults who consume cannabis.
Allen St. Pierre Director NORML Washington, DC www.norml.org
By Elliott
March 1, 2007 11:02 AM | Link to this
www.stopchroniccandy.org