Cannabis Candy Problems

[Doctor Trevor]

This will only hurt the cannabis community...

Big Candy Is Angry (Published 2021)

As more states legalize recreational cannabis, Wrigley and others are suing over look-alike THC treats. They’re protecting their brands — and also, they argue, your kids.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Phytoplankton]

Having cannabis products that are look alikes to products kids consume is stupid, I can see why the candy producers are suing. Kids are at risk. I read the article, and saw some of the look alike products, they look waaay too close to the non cannabis products.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

I found this wrapper on the sidewalk this morning.

 

[Icemud]

In California, making packaging like that is not lawful within the regulations... that is 100% a black market package. Not sure how they would regulate an "illegal" packaging from a black market dealer....

These legal industries need to be more inclusive and lower the cost of entry for people who want to be licensed. Until they do, black market cannabis will thrive.

 

[Doctor Trevor]

Apples and oranges.

Whoever made this candy and wrapper should just make their own packaging. Not copy someone else's.

Why would a black market candymaker put a warning on the packaging?

 

[Icemud]

Apples and oranges.

Whoever made this candy and wrapper should just make their own packaging. Not copy someone else's.

Why would a black market candymaker put a warning on the packaging?

Black Market manufactures do this all the time, because it gives unknowing buyers a false sense of product legitimacy. I have countless friends in non legal states that send me photos all the time of products that are "legal california" vapes.... until I look at the packaging and tell them they are fake or counterfeit.... and ALL of them are made to look like legal products with warnings....

Also, in California there are many black market dispensaries or "popups" that are regular storefronts that operate illegally. These shops all sell these fake "counterfeit" cannabis products, and all of the products are made to look "legal" and compliant... Most of the budtenders have zero clue the shops they were for are not legal, many customers think the shops are legal, and believe the products are lab tested and safe, when they are not...

The whole goal of counterfeiting is to make a product look identical to the real one.... which leads people to buy it thinking they are getting the real goods. I have had countless friends in non legal states contact me excited to tell me they got "medical marijuana" or "legal carts" only for me to burst their bubbles and let them know they were hustled... and each one of them says..... my "dude" told me it was from a legal shop.....

And that is exactly why they make them look real, with warnings.... easier to sell with the story that its "legal".

I agree that products should not look "appealing to children" or use "candy like" packaging which is attractive to children. California cannabis regulations for manufactures do not allow for manufactured goods to be appealing to children or use cartoons, nor design packaging which would be appealing to children. Its unlawful in most legal states to do so.

The photos of the package above show that it is non-compliant (california) for many reasons....

• The "warning triangle" is the wrong size
• The package is not allowed to have cartoons, or be appealing to children,
• The weight is not in both metric and us standard measurements,
• No prop 65 warning,
• The government warning is not the correct one for california,
• no batch number,
• no UID number for metrc
• No mfg/packaging date
• No manufacture name and contact listed
• No instructions for use
• The triangle with the exclaimation point is not a symbol used in california, I believe that one is from colorado...

All of the above are things that are required to be on all manufactured cannabis products in california (legal market), and products are checked numerous times through the chain of custody, as it is illegal for a manufacture to knowingly release a product to a legal distributor whitout all of the required language and warnings. The distributors also have a duty to check the products for all required label compliance before delivering it to a legal retailer... so numerous checks take place to ensure compliance in the supply chain.


Obviously no legal brand would use a trademarked logo or name on their products as lawsuits would flood their legal counsel.....

Anyhow I agree that its irresponsible for cannabis brands to market products like this, but unfortunately this is black market and there isn't much that can be done, when profit is the goal for people who don't care about regulations.