Pot flavored Candy...THE POLL IS PUBLIC? HOW ABSURD!

**Evariste** · March 27, 2006, 01:04 AM

Attention - Vote has been made Public and is not anonymous - Asterix

Attention - It is now also NOT redundancy free - Evariste

Pot-Flavored Candy Outrages Police, Parents
Chronic Candy Is Legal

POSTED: 12:07 pm EDT May 10, 2005
UPDATED: 4:53 pm EDT May 10, 2005

RALEIGH, N.C. -- A new line of candy glorifying pot is now a hot seller, not only in the Triangle but around the country.

It's a multimillion-dollar business promoting drugs and one that many parents don't know about. It's candy that tastes like marijuana -- and it's flying off the shelves.

FeedRoom
Chronic Candy
Candy Promotes Pot
FeedRoom
Survey: Ban 'Chronic Candy'?

The Web site for Chronic Candy says it all: "Every lick is like taking a hit." Shoppers can buy an ounce or a nickel bag and even order it online.

It's not only available as a lollipop; other companies offer hemp-flavored gum drops and gummi bears.

When NBC-17 showed the candy to Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison, he said it was the first he had heard of it.

"To me, it's aggravating to be in law enforcement and try and keep kids off drugs," Harrison said. "And we didn't even know about it. To see drugs are in this candy ... it's disgusting."

The candy does not contain THC, the ingredient that gives pot users a "high," which makes it 100 percent legal. But parents like Walter Krajewski are outraged at the message it's sending to kids.

"I want to keep my kids away from it," said Krajewski. "It makes it harder and harder to raise kids today, especially when you see this type of stuff. It's a horrible message."

In fact, there isn't even an age limit on who can purchase the candy. Any kid could go into a mall and buy it.

"I wouldn't even go into a store that had that. I would tell them we could buy somewhere else," one parent told NBC-17.

Heather Golin, a spokeswoman for Spencer Gifts, said Pot Suckers are among the chain's hottest-selling items, with more than 90,000 sold to date. But the chain doesn't market the candy to youths, she said.

"We target people 18 to 24, and all the merchanise is for them," Golin said. "We can't control who comes out. We ask them to use their best judgment when selling merchanise. We don't do any marketing that we have this."

Wake County Schools spokesman Michael Evans echoed the sheriff's frustration about the candy.

"Stuff like this minimizes the impact of some serious issues with drugs and the fact that a lot people, especially in schools, are working so hard to keep kids off drugs. It makes it kind of sad," Evans said.

With so many people against the candy, NBC-17 wondered what companies that make the candy are thinking.

Chronic Candy
NBC-17

Steven Trachtenberg is the president of ICUP Inc., the makers of Pot Suckers.

"The candy is intended for stoners," Trachtenberg said in a phone interview. "There is a very large percentage of people in this country who smoke pot either openly or discretely in their homes, and it's intended for them."

Without apology, Trachtenberg said his company is making millions of dollars and has even more candy on the way, complete with more marketing that could reach more children.

"I think it's ridiculous," Harrison said, adding that he plans to launch an investigation locally.

Harrison is not alone in wanting companies like Chronic Candy and ICUP to stop selling their products. Organizations around the country are trying to get the candy off the shelves, and one New York lawmaker has proposed a ban on the hemp-flavored treats.

"We are doing the best we can to bring our kids up, and you have a company that is trying to make money. That's the bottom line -- they are trying to make money," Harrison added.

Should this stuff be illegal? I think that their arguments for a ban are idiotic. So many things could be said for other foods as well. A healthly apple is a gateway food to eat less dangerously unhealthy apple items. Eating fresh apples could easily lead to eating apple flavored candies and pies, leading to poor health. Or perhaps playing with toy guns could lead to interest in the real thing. That's the kind of logic that these people are espousing. Ugh.

**O'brien the Protector** · March 27, 2006, 01:30 AM

nothing thats legal should be banned, and nothing should be made illigal if it poses no direct threat to people. ( and something that leads to people making thier own chioce ot use drugs isnt a direct threat).

Why the hell would someone buy one anyways? to tell his friends he's really REALLY cool becuase he bought a lollipop that someone told him tastes like pot?

**Darth Wong** · March 27, 2006, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by O'brien the Protector

nothing thats legal should be banned

Did anybody else notice the rather amusing fact that this statement is completely pointless because anything which is legal is obviously not banned by definition?

**Aemilianus** · March 27, 2006, 03:02 AM

I don't really see exactly how the government is going to justify this one. I'm not a pot smoker myself, and in the dorms the stoners used to smoke under my window- that stuff was absolutely nasty...it kicked me back into my room when I leaned out (and I was on the 4th floor). Personally, though, I have to say that it is pretty ridiculous. All I see this candy doing is creating a situation where it's "cool to be a pothead" except without the addicting qualities and other side effects. With or without candy (and if it's harmless, it's legal, there is no justification for making it illegal) if your kid is a real pothead, you failed as a parent when you tried to teach your kid about drugs. You might also want to worry about your kid being an alcoholic. There are a lot of those here at college, and I guarantee you- alcohol addiction can mess up your son or daughter's life, it's much more prevalent than weed, and you can get it anywhere. It's also much more dangerous than weed-flavored candy.

**the_mango55** · March 27, 2006, 06:23 AM

I live in Wake County, NC, and my roomate is a pothead. And I have never heard of this candy before. I think this article is making a mountian out of a molehill.

In any case, I don't see a nationwide ban anywhere on the horizon, but I wouldn't put it past wake county to pass a city ordinance like that. They absolutuely HATE college students, and anything that could hurt them is good for the city. There is a nuisance ordinance that you are not allowed to have "disturbance causing noise" after midnight, if anyone complains about noise, $$fine city$$. They also tried to pass a ridiculous ordinance that would not allow more than 2 non-related people to live in a house at the same time, which was clearly aimed at keeping college kids from living in "actual neighborhoods" with "real citizens" and relegate them to the dorms and crappy appartments where we belong.

EDIT: plus I don't think this will be attractive at all to people who aren't potheads. Weed doesn't have the most pleasing odor in the world to non users. I have heard my roomate describe some particularly potent weed as "Straight up dank vomit smelling nugs."

**Last Roman** · March 27, 2006, 08:04 AM

sounds gross, now if there were some candy flavored pot......

**Emperor Dimitricus** · March 27, 2006, 08:22 AM

theyve got in here in england as well. and yes, it is gross. its like eating grass, but with candy. but it aint dangerous, so why ban grass flavoured candy?

**Sidus Preclarum** · March 27, 2006, 08:24 AM

The candy does not contain THC, the ingredient that gives pot users a "high," which makes it 100 percent legal.

Nuff said.

**Last Roman** · March 27, 2006, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Sidus Preclarum

Nuff said.

so what's the point? All it is, is some nasty flavored candy.

**O'brien the Protector** · March 27, 2006, 09:57 AM

Originally Posted by Last Roman

so what's the point? All it is, is some nasty flavored candy.

but it not being to your taste dosent make it ban worthy.

**Last Roman** · March 27, 2006, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by O'brien the Protector

but it not being to your taste dosent make it ban worthy.

I never said to ban it.

**Obi Wan Asterix** · March 27, 2006, 08:26 AM

Poll is public.

Moved to mudpit.

**The White Knight** · March 27, 2006, 08:30 AM

Eating candy is better than being on drugs. It is probably no more addictive than any other food and, who would want it?

It shouldn't be banned (though I wouldn't like everybody to advertise it either...).

Edit: ****, I voted the wrong option. That happens when you're eating TWC flavoured candy while writing posts.

In other words can a moderator change my vote to 'against the ban'?

PS: I don't see a public poll?

**Nationalist_Cause** · March 27, 2006, 10:36 AM

Let them sell it if they want.

**solid** · March 27, 2006, 10:49 AM

Will sombody please think of the children??

We cannot, no we must not allow something so dangerous in our society!

It's a disgrace! Obiously these people are secretly also crack and smack delaers and they put many many toxic compounds in their candy to make our kids addicted!