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NEW YORK (AP) — When New York City’s first licensed recreational marijuana outlet opened last month, Chris Alexander, head of the state’s Cannabis Administration, proudly displayed cans of watermelon-flavored gummies above the crowd. lifted.
Outside his Manhattan store, he displayed another purchase — a cannabis strain called Banana Runtz that some enthusiasts say has overtones of “fresh, fruity bananas and sour candy.” It is a jar containing dried flowers.
Inside the store, run by the nonprofit Housing Works, the shelves were lined with vape cartridges written in rainbow bubble letters, evoking flavors of pineapple, grapefruit and “cereal milk.”
For decades, health advocates have accused the tobacco industry of selling harmful nicotine products to children.
Now, with cannabis shops proliferating across the country, flavored cannabis critics say could get kids involved in products labeled ‘Mad Mango,’ ‘Loud Lemon,’ and ‘Peach Dream.’ Similar concerns are growing about the packaging and marketing of
“I strongly argue that we should learn from the nicotine space and have similar concerns with cannabis products in terms of their appeal to young people,” said Katherine Keyes, professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. Youth marijuana use.
“If I were to go to a cannabis store right now,” she said.
Keyes added that public health policymakers (and researchers like her) are trying to keep up with a rapidly expanding and evolving industry and market.
New York, which legalized recreational marijuana in March 2021, bans marketing or advertising “designed to appeal to children or other minors.”
However, the New York State Cannabis Administration has rules on labels, packaging, and advertising that may ban cartoons and neon colors and depict them on packages of food, candy, soda, drinks, cookies, or cereals. has not yet been formally adopted. The agency suggests it may attract people under the age of 21.
“When consumers see a product that looks like other products commonly marketed to children, it’s an illegal market product,” said Lyra Hunt, OCM’s deputy director of public health and campaigns. Parents should be aware that
Hunt recently saw a cannabis product called “Stoney Patch Kids,” which she said resembled the popular candy “Sour Patch Kids.”
Similar products are sold by dozens of illegal pot pharmacies operating outdoors, and authorities fear they are selling unsafe products. And once standards for marketing are established, illegal markets are likely to become non-compliant.
“You can adjust until you’re blue in the face. But the truth is, it’s a partnership between a compliant industry, strong regulations that protect young people, and parents,” Hunt said. I’m here.
Under state law, minors found in possession of marijuana face civil penalties of up to $50. Licensed cannabis retailers who sell to minors face fines and loss of license, but no jail time.
Science has long established the addictive nature of nicotine and health hazards such as cancer and emphysema associated with smoking.
The health effects of e-cigarettes are still unresolved, especially among children whose bodies and internal organs are not yet fully developed.
Cigarette smoking has declined among teens and young adults, but e-cigarette and e-cigarette use is on the rise.
Some states, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island, have banned most flavored tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and e-cigarettes. A growing number of cities, including New York City, have similar bans.
But those rules need to be expanded to include marijuana, says Partnership to End Addiction’s Linda Richter, who says the issue has not yet been widely addressed.
“The tobacco industry is more scrutinized, but when it comes to the cannabis industry, there is very little when it comes to rules, regulations, scrutiny and restrictions,” she said.
The legalized industry is in its relatively early stages, she added, so states have yet to finalize regulations based on a single national standard. States often ask the federal government to set these standards, but marijuana is still illegal at the federal level.
“Not having federal weight on packaging and marketing standards is a real problem,” Richter said, setting parameters for avoiding youth-appealing marketing.
Anti-smoking groups, including the Tobacco-Free Kids Campaign, have criticized the tobacco industry’s marketing. Most recently, it has campaigned against nicotine-flavored products, including those in the form of e-cigarettes.
But so far, such groups have not put the marijuana industry in their sights.
A study published earlier this month documented a sharp rise in addiction among young children, especially those who accidentally ate marijuana-laced treats.
The increase in cases coincides with an increase in the number of states that allow marijuana for medical and recreational use. Currently, medical use of cannabis is permitted in 37 US states, and recreational use is permitted in 21 states.
“If you’re talking about strawberry cheesecake, mango, or cookies and cream flavors, it’s very difficult to claim that they’re meant for older people,” said Pamela Lynn, Ph.D., director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research. said. Education at the University of California, San Francisco.
“People who consider themselves akin to cannabis enthusiasts will say that smoking flavored cannabis products is like putting ketchup on a steak.
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