June 22, 2022
Carson City, NV — Today, Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that he and
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares have led a bipartisan coalition of 23
attorneys general urging Congress to take action regarding copycat THC edibles.
In a letter sent to congressional leadership, the attorneys general explain
that these products are designed to look like popular snack items and have
increased accidental THC consumption in children.
On
June 16, the FDA issued a
warning stating that between Jan. 1, 2021 and May 31, 2022, national poison
control centers received 10,448 single substance exposure cases
involving edibleproducts containing THC. Of these cases,
77% involved patients 19 years of age or younger.
Widely available and often easily mistaken for name brand snacks
such as Oreo cookies, Doritos chips and others, THC copycat products often are
unintentionally given to children or mistaken by children for the brand name
snack products, resulting in unsuspecting children ingesting large amounts of
THC.
“As states across the country, including my own, take steps to
legalize and regulate cannabis, rules have been put in place to protect
children from unwitting consumption,” said AG Ford. “However, there are
those who attempt to work around these rules. Copycat products that mimic
snacks and candy trademarks can entice children, leading to situations that can
threaten their health and safety. We urge Congress to pass legislation granting
these trademark holders the legal tools needed to hold these counterfeiters
accountable.”
While the attorneys general stress they do not
all agree on the best regulatory scheme for cannabis and THC generally, they
all agree that copycat THC edibles pose a grave risk to the health, safety and
welfare of our children.
“As THC-infused edibles become commonplace, some distributers have
started advertising their products to look like popular candy and snack items,”
said Attorney General Miyares. “Their deceiving appearance and packaging
can confuse young children who come across them and has led to an increase in
accidental consumption, putting their health at risk. To address this growing
issue, I’m urging Congress, with a bipartisan coalition, for a comprehensive
legislative solution.”
The
coalition argues that Congress should immediately enact legislation authorizing
trademark holders of well-known and trusted consumer packaged goods to hold
accountable those malicious actors who are marketing illicit copycat THC
edibles to children.
Attorneys General Ford and Miyares were joined by
attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Utah and
Washington.
The letter is attached.
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