MOSCOW, May 5 (RIA Novosti) – Children in Colorado are facing health risks from food products containing marijuana, but the state's Senate has rejected a bill on restricting the drug's use in food, Food Safety News reported Monday.
The Colorado Senate has turned down a House bill that offered immediate measures aimed at packaging restrictions on marijuana-infused food, which is proving to be harmful for children. Lawmakers said they will not take action until the end of the year, but agreed to launch a study of the issue.
The rejected bill suggested clearly marking food products that contain marijuana in order to avoid their consumption by minors. Since selling pot for recreational purposes was legalized by Colorado last January, sales of marijuana-infused food – still illegal under federal law – have been on the rise within the state.
Colorado legislation limits the amount of marijuana in edibles to 10 mg per serving and 100 mg for any one product. According to a recently approved legal amendment, adults over 21 may possess up to one ounce of pot in the form of a plant or concentrated oil. The latter could be used for more servings than leaves. The House bill calls for developing regulations on dosing and concentration issues, especially in edibles.
Recreational marijuana use was legalized in two American states in 2012, Colorado and Washington, and a further 17 US states have legalized use of marijuana for medical use, according to medicalmarijuana.org. The move was criticized in a 2012 report by the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
