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.