UPDATE: The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-3 in favor of House Bill 1250 after it was amended to allow, but not compel, state regulators to require tamper-proof packaging. Language banning the manufacturing and sale of edible marijuana products was taken out of the bill.
In a statement issued through the Medical Marijuana Industry Group (MMIG), Greg Goldfogel, owner of a marijuana-infused products company Sweet n Savory, said "[e]veryone in the industry is invested in the safety of our patients and no one wants this medicine to get into the hands of children."
Goldfogel, a member of the Department of Revenue's Advisory Committee on medical marijuana also said that "to not allow patients access to edibles would contradict the wishes of the voters and the regulatory framework of HB 1284. This is something we have discussed and we will continue to discuss as part of the rulemaking process, and the language now included in the bill provides some important safeguards."
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The Judiciary Committee of the Colorado State House is scheduled to vote on Tuesday on a bill that would place strict regulations on edible medical marijuana products.
House Bill 1250, sponsored by Republican Cindy Acree, was originally aimed at banning the sale and manufacture of "medical marijuana-infused consumable food and beverage product[s]."
Acree, however, backed away from her original proposal in the wake of vehement opposition from medical marijuana advocates who, in testimony earlier this month, called HB 1250 "ridiculous," and a "slippery slope."
Acree, who says her concern has always been the marketing of edible medical marijuana products to children, is is now expected to propose new labeling requirements and other packaging safeguards instead of an outright ban on the sale of the products.
Nonetheless, the Cannabis Therapy Institute, a medical marijuana advocacy organization, remains skeptical of Tuesday's vote. "Amendments have been proposed to lessen the impact of this bill, but nothing is set in stone," the organization says on its website. "All options remain on the table, and new, unseen amendments have been promised by the sponsors."
The Colorado Department of Revenue is also expected to complete work this spring on regulations on marketing and packaging of medical marijuana products.
The medicinal use of marijuana has been legal in Colorado since the passage of a voter initiative in 2000.
READ THE ORIGINAL BILL: