LOZENGES FROM MARIJUANA PLANT CROP UP IN BONITA

(Cannabis Pastilles are made from blossoms of hemp flowers, but the
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been removed. Dan Wagner/Staff)

They're candy lozenges made of blossoms from the marijuana plant, and
they're perfectly legal.

Cannabis Pastilles are to marijuana what O'Doul's beer is to alcohol, say
promoters - a product that allows users to partake without experiencing
mood-altering effects. The lozenges can be found locally at Martha's
Natural Food Market in Bonita Springs' Sunshine Plaza.

The yellow lozenges are made from the distilled blossoms of hemp flowers
grown in the Swiss Alps. Because all of the tetrahydrocannabinol - the
substance that brings on marijuana's euphoria - has been removed, the
product has earned the approval of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
and U.S. Customs.

Peter Zahner, owner of Impex International Corp. in Bonita Springs,
distributes Cannabis Pastilles in the United States. So far, Martha's is
the only Southwest Florida outlet, but Zahner is in the midst of a mailing
to large-scale supermarkets and drug stores trying to sell them on the idea
of carrying the candies in their stores.

"I think bigger stores will accept it once it has acceptance in the smaller
stores," he said.

Zahner admits that the name of the product is part of its marketing appeal.

"It's trendy," Zahner said. "It's a name that makes people curious about it
and it doesn't harm anyone. It has no effect on the human body."

Starr Trade GMBH in Switzerland manufactures the lozenges. In addition to
the United States, they're exported to Australia, Canada, Germany and
Denmark, Zahner said.

Martha Cross, owner of Martha's Natural Food Market, said her employees
agreed to display the lozenges one day several months ago when Zahner
brought them into the store while she was away.

"I came back and said, 'Whoa, what is this?'," Cross recalled. "But there
are no bad properties in them. We don't sell anything here that hurts
anyone. We are here to help people."

Cross has sampled the lozenges and describes their flavor as "herby." She
said Zahner recently replenished the store's supply of Cannabis Pastilles,
replacing the sugar-free variety with ones sweetened with honey.

"That was our concern," Cross said. "We didn't like the artificial sweetener."

Cross said teens rarely venture into her store, but when they do, they
generally stop and look at the lozenges.

"They may pick them up and look at them, but it's just a curiosity," she said.

Not everyone is in favor of the product, however. John Basel, principal of
Bonita Middle School, said he hasn't seen the lozenges yet, but he has
concerns about their use, especially by youths.

"We would discourage the use of it here. We hope we never see it here," he
said. "If we found someone with it, we would have to talk to the parents."

Basel said he worries that the lozenges glorify marijuana.

"They're marketing it this way for a reason. I have concerns about it as a
parent and a principal," he said. "I think it confuses children."

Like Basel, Randy Bixler, director of adult substance abuse at Southwest
Florida Addiction Services, believes the product sends youngsters a bad
message. He also believes some youngsters who buy the lozenges may be in
search of something more potent than candy.

"If it was my child buying it, I would want to find out his motive. If it
was curiosity, that would be one thing, but if the motive was to see if it
could bring about a high, that would be another," he said. "In some kids,
it indicates a desire to get high."

Checked-by: Pat Dolan