MOLINE WON'T BAN 'POT POPS'

A proposal to ban marijuana-flavored candy in the city of Moline went
up in smoke Tuesday at the City Council meeting.

The council voted 5-3 against outlawing lollipops known as Pot
Suckers. The confections, manufactured by a company called ICUP Inc.,
had been sold at Spencer Gifts in SouthPark Mall in Moline.

Aldermen Bill Adams, 5th Ward; Arcilia Dominguez, 1st Ward; and Scott
Raes, 3rd Ward, voted in favor of the ban.

Mayor Don Welvaert had asked that the item be placed on the agenda
after Attorney General Lisa Madigan notified him about the sugary
treats. However, ICUP later voluntarily decided to stop selling the
suckers after numerous news reports statewide about the controversial
concoctions as well as a subpoena from Madigan's office.

"These products -- easily accessible to children in stores and malls
- -- clearly promote the use of marijuana," Madigan said in a news
release. "I am pleased that ICUP made the decision to stop selling
Pot Suckers and I encourage other companies to follow ICUP's lead.
Candy should not glorify drug use."

Several aldermen said they voted against the proposed law because it
seemed irrelevant after ICUP's decision. However, other companies
also manufacture marijuana-flavored treats, such as gummy worms and
"cannabis" chocolate bars packed with an oily, grassy flavor.

Alderman Michael Carton, 2nd Ward, said Spencer sells numerous
products that allude to marijuana use, such as cookie cutters shaped
like marijuana leaves, a card game that explores how to grow pot
plants and a dice game that proclaims, "Getting busted is just a roll
of the dice away."

"If we're going to ban the lollipops, then we need to ban all the
stuff that's targeting kids," Carton said. "We've still got this
stuff out there."

"Not to be cavalier, but who determines what marijuana tastes like?"
asked Alderman Mike Crotty, 6th Ward.

"We actually had a discussion among staff, but nobody would admit to
the experience," answered Jeff Lester, city law director.

Welvaert said he believes his intent -- to get the lollipops removed
from store shelves -- was accomplished even though the proposed law
did not pass. "It would have been difficult to enforce. I think we
sent the message, and now those candies are no longer sold in the stores.

"You do what you can do and to that degree, I think we've done what we can do."

A store manager at Spencer in SouthPark who declined to be identified
said the suckers generally sold out as soon as a shipment arrived.

Samantha Hughes, assistant store manager at Spencer Gifts in
NorthPark Mall, Davenport, said one of the $1.99 suckers remained on
store shelves Tuesday. "As soon as we get them in, we're selling them out."

Also Tuesday, the council discussed the possibility of banning cell
phone use while driving in the city. Crotty asked that the item be
placed on the agenda, but no action was taken.

"We've all driven and been behind someone or been hit by someone who
was not conscientious of what's going on around them as they drive,"
Crotty said.

"I think we should prohibit electric razors and people who pluck
their eyebrows, too," said Alderman Dorothy Armstrong, 7th Ward.

Police Chief Gary Francque said a cell phone law would be difficult to enforce.

"I don't think there's any doubt that cell phone usage in a vehicle
is becoming a national issue. Whether we would catch many people
doing that remains to be seen, but it would make a statement that
this is an unsafe practice."