The edible marijuana - half an idea?

When I was a student in the 70s, brownies laced marijuana were at a new way to get high (never inhaled!). Remain a staple of some games. Now a new generation of "food companies" take the concept of edible marijuana in a frightening new address: foods that mimic candy marijuana-laced people These candies can be hazardous for children, says a perspective article. in New England Journal of Medicine today.

In the article, Robert J. Makoun and Michelle M. Mello, of the Stanford Law School explored the promotion of edible marijuana, which can now be purchased legally in four states - Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska - along the smoked form more traditional. Like other states to explore decriminalization of marijuana, the market for these products is likely to grow.

From a marketing perspective, it's a beautiful concept to sell Buddha fingers that look like Butterfingers, imitating Reese Peanut Butter Cups Rasta Reese or Pot-Tarts that look like Pop-Tarts. Adults would get the joke. But it is not funny for kids who accidentally eat based product marijuana think it's sweet.

To make matters worse, some of these products contain up to four times the "safe" dose of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. Overdose is not just a theoretical concern.

In Colorado, it was legal to buy and consume medical marijuana since 2000. In 2014, the state became the first in the nation for the sake of selling marijuana for recreational purposes. But as written by Dr. Tista Ghosh and colleagues at the Colorado Department of Public Health in a separate article The New England Journal of Medicine, was an emergency increase in visits to hospitals in the Denver area for children because children accidentally eating marijuana edible products. And calls for marijuana to poison the Rocky Mountains and the Centre for drugs increased by 70% since the recreational marijuana got the green light.Although it is illegal for anyone in Colorado under 21 to buy marijuana, marijuana edible packaging seems destined in part to children. It's like Joe Camel cigarette ads that once targeted young smokers, writing MacCoun and Mello. (Click here to listen to an interview with Robert MacCoun on edible marijuana.)

He edible marijuana in a legal gray area. Marijuana is what is known as a drug class 1. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, which means that he has "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse." Other drugs in this category include heroin, ecstasy (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), and LSD. The FDA can not regulate the sale of drugs currently Annex 1, so it can not regulate marijuana edible products. The Department of Justice may intervene, but won'to likely, say MacCoun and Mello.  

The ministry has no plans to sue people whose actions may violate federal law (under which it is illegal to use, sell or possess marijuana), but are not violating state or local laws.

MacCoun Mello and do not call for the closure of the edible marijuana. Instead, the question in the hope of creating a more streamlined marketing and sale of the same state and federal approach arises. Important steps include  

1. the edible marijuana packaged to attract not only confused children.
2. using child-resistant packaging.
3. ensure that marijuana edible products are sold in individual portions that do not contain more than "security", 10 milligrams of THC per serving.

On the scale of public health problems, the regulation of edible marijuana takes a back seat to ensure that children are vaccinated or exercising enough. But all we can do to protect children from harm should not be confronted in the first place is worth pursuing.