Post by HARD ROCK UNIVERSE on Jun 23, 2005 9:49:51 GMT -5
USA Today
Jun. 22, 2005 08:19 AM
Lollipops that are touted as tasting like marijuana are causing a ruckus among drug abuse specialists and a Michigan lawmaker, who say the candies are encouraging kids to try pot.
Two companies, Chronic Candy and ICUP Inc., sell hemp-flavored candies. California-based Chronic Candy, which sells two lollipops in $5 "nickel bags" - lingo for a $5 bag of marijuana - advertises its flavored pops with the tag line: "Every lick is like taking a hit."
ICUP, a New Jersey company whose "Stonerware" line includes clothing, glassware and pot-leaf molds for ice cubes, says its Pot Suckers "taste like the real deal." Neither candy contains THC, the ingredient in marijuana that causes a high.
Both companies say their marketing campaigns target young adults, ages 18-24. Drug-prevention groups such as the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, however, say the candies are becoming popular among younger people, and that they glorify an illegal drug.
The group of anti-drug coalitions, based in Alexandria, Va., is urging its 5,000 local organizations to inform parents about the candies and to pressure stores to take such products off their shelves, Chairman Arthur Dean says.
"These products create a false impression among kids that marijuana is safe and fun," Dean says.
In Michigan's legislature, Democratic state Rep. Dudley Spade has proposed a state ban on the sale of candy that contains hemp or hemp flavoring. Hemp-flavored candies are "the wrong message to be sending to our children," Spade says. "The last thing we need is for kids to be acquiring a taste for a drug that's illegal."
Spencer Gifts, a chain of novelty stores that specialize in funky home decor and T-shirts for young adults, has sold Pot Suckers since August 2004, Spencer spokeswoman Heather Golin says. Last year, Spencer sold more than 110,000 of the pops for $1.99 each.
"A lot of people buy it as a novelty, they are curious to see what it tastes like," Golin says. "It's a very unique palate that does enjoy the taste of hemp."
The pops, she says, are legal, safe and in demand among the store's core customer group. She says the store does not market the candies to children.
"The pops are not intended for kids. We try to keep them in venues that are not kid-friendly," says Steven Trachtenberg, president of ICUP Inc. in Trenton, N.J. "It's up to parents to police their kids."
Trachtenberg says the lollipops, flavored with hemp oil, are THC-free and kosher: "You can't get high from them."
Chronic Candy in Corona, Calif., also markets to young adults, primarily from a website and stands at liquor stores and music festivals, owner Tony Van Pelt says. He describes himself as a pot smoker who travels the USA in his "Chronic Candy" van to promote his lollipops. Van Pelt, who began importing the pops from Europe six years ago, says he sold 200,000 to 300,000 last year.
"There's nothing in it to get you high," he says. "My mom thinks she gets a buzz from it. I don't have the heart to tell her it's just the sugar."
Jun. 22, 2005 08:19 AM
Lollipops that are touted as tasting like marijuana are causing a ruckus among drug abuse specialists and a Michigan lawmaker, who say the candies are encouraging kids to try pot.
Two companies, Chronic Candy and ICUP Inc., sell hemp-flavored candies. California-based Chronic Candy, which sells two lollipops in $5 "nickel bags" - lingo for a $5 bag of marijuana - advertises its flavored pops with the tag line: "Every lick is like taking a hit."
ICUP, a New Jersey company whose "Stonerware" line includes clothing, glassware and pot-leaf molds for ice cubes, says its Pot Suckers "taste like the real deal." Neither candy contains THC, the ingredient in marijuana that causes a high.
Both companies say their marketing campaigns target young adults, ages 18-24. Drug-prevention groups such as the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, however, say the candies are becoming popular among younger people, and that they glorify an illegal drug.
The group of anti-drug coalitions, based in Alexandria, Va., is urging its 5,000 local organizations to inform parents about the candies and to pressure stores to take such products off their shelves, Chairman Arthur Dean says.
"These products create a false impression among kids that marijuana is safe and fun," Dean says.
In Michigan's legislature, Democratic state Rep. Dudley Spade has proposed a state ban on the sale of candy that contains hemp or hemp flavoring. Hemp-flavored candies are "the wrong message to be sending to our children," Spade says. "The last thing we need is for kids to be acquiring a taste for a drug that's illegal."
Spencer Gifts, a chain of novelty stores that specialize in funky home decor and T-shirts for young adults, has sold Pot Suckers since August 2004, Spencer spokeswoman Heather Golin says. Last year, Spencer sold more than 110,000 of the pops for $1.99 each.
"A lot of people buy it as a novelty, they are curious to see what it tastes like," Golin says. "It's a very unique palate that does enjoy the taste of hemp."
The pops, she says, are legal, safe and in demand among the store's core customer group. She says the store does not market the candies to children.
"The pops are not intended for kids. We try to keep them in venues that are not kid-friendly," says Steven Trachtenberg, president of ICUP Inc. in Trenton, N.J. "It's up to parents to police their kids."
Trachtenberg says the lollipops, flavored with hemp oil, are THC-free and kosher: "You can't get high from them."
Chronic Candy in Corona, Calif., also markets to young adults, primarily from a website and stands at liquor stores and music festivals, owner Tony Van Pelt says. He describes himself as a pot smoker who travels the USA in his "Chronic Candy" van to promote his lollipops. Van Pelt, who began importing the pops from Europe six years ago, says he sold 200,000 to 300,000 last year.
"There's nothing in it to get you high," he says. "My mom thinks she gets a buzz from it. I don't have the heart to tell her it's just the sugar."
