DENVER Pot brownies will remain legal to buy at medical marijuana dispensaries after a state lawmaker backed down from her attempt to ban them Tuesday.
Rep. Cindy Acree, R-Aurora, had introduced House Bill 1250 to ban marijuana edibles, which include not only pot-infused brownies, but everything from soda and tea to pizza, gelato and biscotti.
The House Judiciary Committee delayed a vote on the bill Tuesday, but not before Acree signaled her intent to radically weaken the bill.
Acree wants to transform the bill into a ban on the marketing of marijuana-infused food to children, and a requirement to package the products in child-proof containers.
Were finding it on school playgrounds. I know that kids are not allowed to buy this product, but it is still falling into their hands, Acree said.
Police officers also testified that they know of cases where children have taken pot brownies or lollipops to school and sold them.
Acree displayed pictures of Captain Chronic and Pot Tarts, which look like the breakfast foods Capn Crunch and Pop Tarts.
But medical marijuana advocates who testified questioned whether those were real products or if they are sold in Colorado.
Marijuana business owners said they are acting responsibly under last years bill that granted licenses to sell marijuana to people with a doctors recommendation.
We do not want medical marijuana products being given to children, said Greg Goldfogel, owner of Mangia Ganja, which makes pot-infused gourmet Italian foods. We are being good citizens.
Even Acrees newly weakened bill still faces resistance.
Matt Cook, head of the medical marijuana division at the Department of Revenue, said he wasnt arguing for or against it, but any regulation on marketing can get dicey.
It does create a number of First Amendment issues that can get very litigious, Cook said.
But he likes the second part of Acrees rewritten bill, which requires opaque, childproof packages for pot-infused food.
Reach Joe Hanel at joeh@cortezjournal.com