THUMBS UP/DOWN: JEANNE LARSEN, AMBER ALERTS ON CELL PHONES, POT-FLAVORED CANDY

Thumbs Down:

To peddlers of pot-flavored candy. Marijuana-flavored lollipops named
Purple Haze, Acapulco Gold and Rasta are showing up on convenience store
shelves around the country, according to the Associated Press. The candy is
legal and made with hemp oil, a common ingredient in health food and beauty
supplies. A state senator from Georgia suggests it's nothing but dope
candy. We wouldn't go that far. After all, the oil imparts marijuana's
grassy taste but not the high. Still, the senator accurately argues that
it's nothing we need to be training our children to do. Merchants call the
candy a harmless novelty, and stores are being advised to only sell it to
those 18 and older. But too many shops illegally sell cigarettes to
underage customers. No law prevents stores from selling this candy to
minors. And if kids think the candy is hip, it's not a stretch to imagine
that more kids will be more likely to try the real drug, and at younger
ages. We urge area stores to strongly consider this consequence before
stocking the candy.