Cannabis Industry Group Works to Boost Safety for “Edibles”

For every three legal marijuana products sold in Colorado, two are edible.

And while a few bites of a THC-laced brownie might seem innocuous enough, the potency of marijuana “edibles” is often unclear—something New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd learned  (opens in a new tab) the hard way a couple of months ago.

“I strained to remember where I was or even what I was wearing, touching my green corduroy jeans and staring at the exposed-brick wall,” she wrote in a column about her first legal high brought on by eating a chocolate bar containing pot . “As my paranoia deepened, I became convinced that I had died and no one was telling me.”

A recent report by a Brookings Institution fellow concluded that the state’s legalization plan has been “largely successful”  (opens in a new tab)— except in the case of edibles, which have raised concerns about mistaken consumption by children and by adults inexperienced with the products’ high potency.

With reports of illnesses  (opens in a new tab) and recalls  (opens in a new tab), as well as articles like Dowd’s, circulating in the media, the cannabis industry is concerned about the potential for additional regulations, which are  already being considered  (opens in a new tab) in Colorado.

To help solve this problem, the National Cannabis Industry Association is working to inform its members by launching safety-education programs. The ServSafe Food Safety Basics course, based on a National Restaurant Association curriculum, teaches a number of basic food-safety and sanitation rules. The first educational session was held Wednesday in Denver and was facilitated by NCIA member Maureen McNamara, the founder of Cannabis Trainers.

A separate Sell-SMaRT Responsible Cannabis Vendor course will advise “budtenders” on how to sell responsibly. The program borrows techniques, such as checking ID and offering advice on responsible consumption, that have been successful for sales of  alcoholic beverages. The first session is planned for August 19 and will be led by McNamara.

“The interest in edibles and other infused products keeps growing,” NCIA Deputy Director Taylor West said in a news release  (opens in a new tab). “We know our industry is under a microscope, and we want to make sure cannabis product-makers continue developing the highest quality and safest products possible.”