CNN News article:

Candy goes to pot: report

NYC lawmakers fume over marijuana-flavored candy that claims 'every lick is like taking a hit.' December 16, 2004: 1:05 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - New York City lawmakers have condemned the sale of Chronic Candy, a marijuana-flavored lollipop and gumdrop line that claims "every lick is like taking a hit," a newspaper report said Tuesday.

Correction

• An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Harlem councilman Bill Perkins. CNN/Money regrets the error.

Chronic Candy's hemp-based confections are sold at 43 stores around the city, said a report in amNew York.

"To produce this kind of candy is sickening. This is targeted to children," councilwoman Margarita Lopez, chairwoman of the Substance Abuse Committee, told the newspaper. Lopez also promised a council resolution condemning the sweets.

But the candymaker said people are overreacting to the product, according to the story. amNew York reports that the candy is imported from Switzerland and contains no THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

"Hemp candy has been around since 1920," Antonio Montana, founder and president of Chronic Candy, told the newspaper. "It's not my goal or intention at all to influence kids."

He added that the only buzz you'll get is from all the sugar.

But the newspaper report said that the candy -- which is sold in "nickel bags" and "20 sacks" and comes in flavors like the Chronic and Acapulco Gold -- embraces drug culture. Public health workers told amNew York the candy glamorized drug use.

Councilman Bill Perkins (D-Harlem) was quoted as saying that the candies are "clearly perpetuating a culture that is unhealthy. It is unacceptable and needs to be taken off the market."

© CNN.com

Matthew Huijgen, MBA Pres. HempWorld, Inc. comments to above article:

"It's been 3 years (see our press release) but we are now finally getting some attention in New York:

What in the world is unhealthy about Hemp or Cannabis? I know for a fact (and it is on our website in a US Medical Doctor's speech) that Cannabis or Hemp is not toxic is not addictive and has never killed anyone, in  FACT it is statistically safer then; water, Aspirin (with a capital A), coffee, etc.

So why the hypocrisy? My own father and 4 of his brothers (my uncles) were killed by cigarettes! FACTS show that in the US alone cigarettes kill about 440,000 Americans EVERY year! Cigarettes kill 38,000 US Citizens via 2nd hand smoke alone! Do I need to go on about a double standard here? How about Vioxx? This 'Blockbuster' drug (sales over 1 Billion with a capital B) killed about 100,000 Americans! (CNBC's special report aired on 12/23/04 afternoon)

But hey Cannabis Candy this is really something...

And by the way, we do not market this to children because (if you think about it) this is NOT our market.

Go figure, it is simply beyond me, but now after long study I know how this all hangs together, Cannabis is too useful and un-patentable and these are also a facts."