Nevada Wants To Make Edibles Illegal
Nevada finally legalized recreational cannabis use last November. State lawmakers have been working behind the scenes to implement the new drug policies before 2018 although edible manufacturers in Nevada may see their businesses go up in smoke.
Senator Patricia Farley thinks that the state should make sugary cannabis snacks illegal. Nevada’s lawmakers passed a bill that required all cannabis-infused products to be packaged in such a way that children won’t find them appealing, although they now want to expand on these guidelines. Sen. Farley introduced Senate Bill 344, which would essentially make it illegal for edibles made with sugar to be sold on the market, unless they have been classified as baked goods.
SB344 applies to gummy bears, sodas, lollipops, and more. In addition to that, products whose labels include fruits, toys, mascots, action figures, and cartoon characters will also be illegal. Cookies, brownies, and other baked goods will be permitted although they need to be sold using opaque packaging. Sen. Farley supported the legalization of recreational cannabis although she is working on changing the educational programs so that children will be discouraged from trying pot until they’re 21 years of age. Under SB344, manufacturers will also be required to clearly indicate how much THC is contained in each product. Another amendment seems to impose a limit of 25mg of THC across state lines.
Earlier this year, Farley said she was aware about the opposition towards her bill. ““The industry has long used marijuana in food and candy, and I’m amenable to change, but I just want to make the point, on a public policy, tobacco and alcohol and actual prescription medication do not come in the form of candy. They are not packaged that way. They are not sold in edibles. And I think we have to draw maybe a little more stricter line in the sand, because now we are taking marijuana and trying to regulate it like alcohol and tobacco.” She spent the past year on a fact-finding mission with other lawmakers from the state, visiting Colorado and Oregon. SB344 is the result of combining laws surrounding edibles in those states.
Riana Durrett, Executive Director of the Nevada Dispensary Association, is supportive of the bill. “We do support this bill and in fact we have already taken it upon ourselves to implement some of these measures,” she said. “For example, the ban on mascots, fruits, animals was a measure adopted in Colorado that the Nevada Dispensary Association adopted as a best practice and implemented. I personally called all members to make sure that they didn’t have gummy bears on their shelves.”
Some Nevada officials including Joe Pollock from the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, think that the 25mg limit is already too high especially for individuals who don’t have experience using cannabis. Manufacturers of edibles argue that opaque packaging will hinder their marketing efforts. They also feel that banning candy-like edibles from the market is unnecessary. SB344’s opponents use the bright and colorful slot machines of Las Vegas, claiming that the move is hypocritical and that these machines aren’t permitted for anyone under 21 although they still use flashing lights and attractive characters.
Problems
Even if Nevada has moved forward in terms of cannabis use, there are still some things that need ironing out. One of these problems is that some workers can lose their professional licenses like those who practice medicine if they are discovered to be users of cannabis. To address this problem, Nevada lawmakers are finding a way to protect those who use cannabis within state guidelines. Sen. Tick Segerblom proposed SB374, a law that would forbid licensing boards from disciplining professionals if they use or support recreational cannabis or are involved in the cannabis industry. If you take someone’s license away, you are essentially taking away their main source of livelihood.
Existing law in Nevada already states that employers are prohibited from taking adverse action on employees if they consume during their off-hours, provided that there is no evidence that cannabis use is compromising safety or that work performance isn’t suffering.
These latest bills are proof that Nevada is already prepping itself for recreational cannabis use although they’re treading carefully. SB344 would no doubt cause serious issues for businesses that make edibles and how they go about marketing their products.
Do you agree with how Nevada is handling their cannabis policies?
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