HEY, DUDE, WANT A CANDY?

Ah, for those quaint days when lollipops tasted like cherry or lemon
or, at their most exotic, root beer.

Well, those candies can move over; there is a new flavor in town -
marijuana.

Yes, candy makers are offering confections for your inner hippie -
Chronic Candy and Pot Suckers.

The candies simulate the taste of marijuana, although they lack the
chemical that creates the high in grass.

While the marketing ploy may seem absurdly comical, Rep. Aaron Pena,
D-Edinburg, is taking it seriously.

The legislator, saying the candies may lure children into trying the
real thing, has proposed a bill that would control the sale of
confections that offer a marijuana-like flavor.

"It introduces the idea of marijuana use and gives tacit approval to
the introduction of a product that we spend billions of dollars to
fight against," Pena, whose bill would make the sale of such candies
a misdemeanor, told reporters.

Makers of the candies, saying the products are not marketed for
children, contend that politicians like Pena are only trying to make
a name for themselves.

Perhaps, but one wonders if the candy makers have clouded their
judgment by smoking too much of the real thing.