MICHIGAN LAWMAKER SEEKS HEMP CANDY BAN

Pot Suckers Called Drug 'Stepping Stone'

A Lenawee County state legislator wants a ban enacted on all candy
products containing hemp or hemp flavoring.

Dudley Spade (D., Tipton) introduced his legislation last week after
learning that 19 Spencer Gifts shops in Michigan are selling
hemp-flavored lollipops called Pot Suckers.

"We should not have these out and available for kids to acquire these
kinds of tastes. I'm concerned it could be a stepping stone to smoking
marijuana," Mr. Spade said.

"I think it's ridiculous," said Steven Trachtenberg, president of ICUP
Inc., the Trenton, N.J., novelty gift and apparel company that sells
Pot Suckers. "If you look at products on the shelves now, you see pina
colada jelly beans and shampoo. Are we promoting drinking to kids?"

Mr. Spade had 11 supporters sign his bill, which was sent to the House
Judiciary Committee Wednesday for review. Among them was state Rep.
Kathy Angerer (D., Dundee).

"Kids need our protection," she said. "Any product that glorifies drug
use I think is wrong."

Lenawee County Sheriff Larry Richardson agrees. "I'm all for it," he
said. "Kids tell me it tastes like the real stuff. I definitely think
we should put controls on it."

Maj. Larry Clock, operations director of the Monroe County sheriff's
office, said he had never heard of hemp-flavored candy. "If it doesn't
contain THC, it's like nonalcoholic beer," he said.

Nevertheless, Major Clock said he believes such products could be a
problem. "I can't dispute the logic in what [Mr. Spade] says. Kids
start innocently enough by trying one thing or another, and that can
progress to a new, greater high," he said.

At Spencer Gifts in the Frenchtown Square Mall in Frenchtown Township,
a store manager who did not give her name said it is out of Pot
Suckers, but the candy, which sells for $1.99, is a good seller.
"We've never had any complaints about any of our products," she said.

At the Spencer Gifts in Westfield Franklin Park, the manager there,
who also declined to be named, said his store was out of Pot Suckers.
He said the candy was not a big seller there.

Heather Golin, director of corporate communications at Spencer Gifts
in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., said her company has sold 115,000 Pot
Suckers in the last year. "We have not heard any complaints from
anyone," she said. "We're just selling another flavor of lollipop."

Ms. Angerer called on Spencer Gifts to voluntarily stop selling Pot
Suckers.

Said Ms. Golin: "She has a right to her opinion. We don't sell anything
harmful in our stores at all. If any legislation is passed, we absolutely
will abide by it."

Mr. Trachtenberg said legislation passed last year made it possible to
use hemp in food products. That led to the development of the Pot
Sucker. Next up is the Buzz Bar, a hemp-flavored chocolate bar, which
Mr. Trachtenberg hopes to market under ICUP's Stonerware label in the
fall.

"These products are not intended for kids," he said. "It's sold in
novelty shops, record stores, and head shops, places where it's not
appropriate to have kids. It's up to the parents to police their children."

Mr. Trachtenberg said he might consider putting a not-for-minors label
on Pot Suckers.

But Mr. Spade wants the product gone from all Michigan retail shelves.
He also is targeting other, similar products, most of which can be
bought on Web sites. In particular, he singled out the nickel bag of
hemp-flavored lollipops sold by Chronic Candy Corp., of Corona, Calif.

"Drug-flavored candy won't help control crime. It will make our drug
and crime problems worse. It will entice young people who want to look
'cool' to use the real thing," he said.