Gummies With THC May Soon Be Banned In New York Under New Bill, Some Weed Not Strong As Labeled In Colorado

In New York, a newly introduced bill seeks to ban the sale or delivery of candy products containing THC.

A 4934 from Assemblyman Phil Steck (D-Schenectady) and chairman of the Assembly Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee would amend the state’s cannabis law.

With the measure, Steck is addressing the lack of regulations and quality assurance in terms of levels of THC in edibles as he is concerned that New Yorkers are consuming too many THC-laced gummies or edibles as the state’s recreational market expands, reported The Post-Journal.

“Regulations and quality assurance regarding the determination of THC content and product labeling are generally lacking, and as a result, the dosage estimation for many edibles is often inaccurate with many products containing significantly more THC than labeled,” Steck wrote in the bill’s justification.

He also raised concerns about the effect edibles have on people’s well-being.

"One of the most prominent differences between smoking marijuana and eating edibles is the delayed onset of effects associated with edibles which can take between 30 minutes to 2 hours to experience,” Steck continued. “This delay can result in some people consuming a greater than intended amount of drug.”

Low THC Levels Found In Cannabis Tested by Colorado Researchers

Meanwhile, the latest legislative efforts made headlines as did a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Northern Colorado, which found that cannabis sold at several dispensaries in Colorado may contain less THC than written on the label, reported The Washington Post.

“I don’t believe what’s on the label,” said Mitchell E. McGlaughlin, one of the study’s authors. “We just don’t have enough information for consumers about whether or not you can trust what’s being produced.”

As part of the research published in PLOS ONE, 23 samples of cannabis flowers from ten different dispensaries in Denver, Fort Collins and Garden City were tested to determine the concentration of THC. In 18 of the all tested samples, the experts found, on average, 23% lower levels of potency than listed on the labels.

McGlaughlin, a professor of biological sciences at the University of Northern Colorado and his colleagues, Anna L. Schwabe, Vanessa Johnson, and Joshua Harrelson, said that based on their results, Colorado cannabis consumers are “often purchasing cannabis that has a much lower THC potency than is advertised.”

Photo: Courtesy of Evie Fjord on Unsplash