Edible pot food such as brownies and candy likely will not be on the shelves when Washington’s first legal marijuana stores open their doors on July 8.
The Washington State Liquor Control Board is expected to adopt an emergency rule requiring prior approval of the labels that go on edibles before the pot-infused food can be sold at retail stores. (Update: The emergency rule was formally adopted by the board on Wednesday.)
The labels cannot feature cartoon figures or appeal to children. The packages must include scoring to show serving sizes, along with other requirements. Makers of pot-infused food can get approval for their products by submitting a photo of the package to the Liquor Control Board. If rejected, the board has an appeals process.
So far, no labels have been submitted to the board for approval. Twenty marijuana stores are expected to open on July 8, although the store locations have not yet been released.
In advance of the opening date, state officials are also launching a public campaign to dissuade anyone under the age of 21 from using marijuana. Gov. Jay Inslee said at a press conference Tuesday that the statewide campaign is “essential to protect the human health of our kids.”
“If we fail to act, this effort to legalize marijuana could be in some doubt,” Inslee said.
And it’s not just kids that the state is trying to educate. “One of our concerns is the adult consumers that maybe haven’t had marijuana in a long time, or are new users,” said Liquor Control Board Chair Sharon Foster.
‘The marijuana of today is not the marijuana of the ’60s,” warned Foster, who said she was told by an emergency room doctor that most marijuana-related cases are Baby Boomers.
Foster said the board is also trying to get out the message that people may have to wait up to two hours before they begin feeling the effects of edible pot food.
Edibles have come under scrutiny in Colorado after a 19-year-old student fell to his death from a hotel balcony after eating six pot cookies. Colorado is now weighing potency rules for edibles.
Watch the press conference below: