Stoned driving, kid access are key issues
The lack of a law enforcement test to prove stoned driving and fears about kids getting at pot gummies should not get in the way of legalization, a leading pot industry rep said — though weed professionals insist those are top concerns in the booming business.
“They really need a way to test it — right now there’s no way,” said Jonathon Dinh of the National Cannabis Industry Association at the group’s Seed to Sale Show, which is taking place this week at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.
But Dinh rejected the idea that legalization and sales shouldn’t move forward before such a solution is found, saying, “It’s really up to the individual to be responsible.”
Right now, there’s no agreedupon way of testing drivers for the amount of pot in their systems. Unlike alcohol, which metabolizes quickly at measurable rates, the active chemical in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, can stay in the body for weeks.
The difficulty in testing for stoned drivers remains one of the most hotly debated pot issues now more than two years after Bay State residents voted to legalize marijuana. Another is the worry that legalization and more widespread access to the drug will allow teens to get it more easily and that small children might be attracted to the often-colorful gummies and other edible weed treats.
“We have to keep that in mind all the time,” said Grant Lapke of Colorful Label Solutions, which sells label-making materials and does graphic design. The Californian said the specifications vary widely from state to state. He said Canada has gone away from colorful packaging toward black and white for those reasons.
He added that the person who figures out a way to test for stoned driving will have had “a billion-dollar idea.”
David Szala of Phoenix Closures, which builds child-proof containers for holding items like marijuana edibles, said his century-old company saw an opening in the market when such products became popular.
“It’s very important to keep that away from little kids,” Szala said.