COULD A SWEET TOOTH LEAD TO A POTHEAD?

GREENSBORO -- Is candy the new gateway drug?

Some say candy flavored to taste like marijuana is just that -- the newest
obstacle in the war on drugs.

The treats aren't illegal and don't get you high, but that's not the point,
said Matthew Miller, 18, who spoke to the Greensboro City Council on Monday
about the candy. He was accompanied by about a dozen other members of Youth
First, a program for area teens.

"It may not get people high and it may not be a drug, but it can get
younger kids into drugs," he said.

Council members agreed and could vote on a resolution to condemn the sale
of the candy Aug. 16. The state constitution prevents the city from banning
its sale because none of the ingredients are illegal.

All kinds of pot products are available for purchase online, including
green gummy bears that taste nothing like sour apple or lime. "Pot
Suckers," lollipops made with hemp, are sold at Spencer Gifts, a novelty
gift store at Four Seasons Town Centre. The Pot Suckers are part of New
Jersey-based ICUP Inc.'s Stonerware line of products.

Protests about the candy are popping up across the country. The Chicago
City Council banned its sale this year.

Miller said he isn't worried about what his peers might think about his stance.

"A lot of them have already had the real thing," he said. "And they
probably won't like (the candy) as much as they like the real thing."