A new Colorado law is going to bring some visible change to your local marijuana dispensary.
Starting January 1, 2020, Colorado marijuana dispensaries will be required to post a warning about the risk THC has to babies. The warnings are directed at pregnant and breastfeeding customers and are required as part of a new state law.
Smart Colorado is a local nonprofit that aims to protect children in marijuana policy and education in the state. The organization worked and advocated with the Colorado General Assembly to pass the law and is providing the warning signs to every dispensary in the state. The organization sent signs in early December to all 774 marijuana stores statewide, for free.
“We determined that the state was not providing signage to help Colorado’s marijuana businesses comply with the new law requiring the warning signs so we took the initiative to mail out signs at no cost to the dispensaries. It’s important that these fact-based warning messages be prominently placed to counter widespread misinformation that puts the littlest Coloradans at risk.” said Henny Lasley, the group’s executive director, on the decision to provide the signs to all marijuana stores in the state.
The group sent a letter with the signs to remind stores of the new law requiring the warning to be posted in a visible location inside the restricted access areas of marijuana stores. The THC warning signs are required to be posted starting next week.
The U.S Surgeon General, as well as medical professionals, caution against using marijuana during pregnancy and breastfeeding as THC can be passed to the baby.
Other new marijuana laws will be taking effect across Colorado in 2020, namely House Bill 1230, which allows for licensed marijuana tasting rooms, and House Bill 1234, which will allow for marijuana to be delivered to customers’ homes.
While we are a state that has embraced the marijuana business, no one wants children to be placed at risk, so using marijuana responsibly and making sure it never is around kids and babies is just common sense, as well as the law.
Do you agree with requiring more warning signs and reminders about the effects and dangers THC may pose to young children and babies in places that sell marijuana? Let us know in the comments.