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The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Control Board is celebrating Valentine’s Day like the rest of us: creating new rules for warning stickers on cannabis-infused edibles.
As of Feb. 14, all edible products sold in Washington state require a warning label that clearly reads “Not for Kids,” along with a big red hand. Labels also include the emergency number for the Washington Poison Center.
WASHINGTON — A landmark report reviewing more than 10,000 scientific studies of marijuana since 1999 has concluded that weed has some medical benefits, but also comes with plenty of health risks. The report by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine aims to provide conclusive evidence about the effects of marijuana — something that’s not very easy to come by, according to scientists. Researchers said there is conclusive or substantial evidence that chronic pain, along with nausea caused by chemotherapy, can be relieved by marijuana, according to their report. However, the report warns that using the drug may increase the risk of developing mental health problems, such as schizophrenia. The report says there is evidence that smoking marijuana can trigger heart attacks in patients already diagnosed with heart disease. The report links early marijuana use with substance abuse later in life. It also says using the drug increases the chances of respiratory problems, vehicle accidents, and low birth weight in babies born to mothers who smoke it. Around 22 million Americans used marijuana in the past month, according to a recent survey cited by NPR — despite the fact the federal government considers it a crime. Pot is legal for medical use in more than half of the U.S. states, with eight states allowing citizens to blaze it up just for kicks. The scientists said that a whole lot more research on the drug is required, which would be a lot easier if the federal government removed its regulatory red tape. Seems to us like the more scientific evidence, the better, so that people can make informed choices about the substances they put into their own bodies.
The idea had been considered for a long time. Initially the LCB was content to have edible-manufacturers submit their packaging for approval, but in the bustling marijuana industry, creative packaging left a lot of edibles looking like regular candy.
“A lot of them look like a regular package. We want it to be easily identified as a product containing marijuana,” Brian Smith, spokesperson for the LCB, told The News Tribune.
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Though the rates of children exposed to marijuana are far from epidemic levels, recent studies have supported regulators who are concerned with proper labeling. A JAMA Pediatrics study published last summer found that rates of cannabis exposure in young children have increased 150 percent in Colorado since 2014.
The LCB believes these labels will help keep parents aware and kids out of the edible stash. Manufacturers will have to start incorporating the label into their packaging or putting a sticker on the product package.
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