Pot Head Ring Pots leave a bad taste for Legalize2012.com's Laura Kriho (VIDEO) | The Latest Word | Denver | Denver Westword | The Leading Independent News Source in Denver, Colorado
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Pot Head Ring Pots leave a bad taste for Legalize2012.com's Laura Kriho (VIDEO)

It's not often Laura Kriho, the driving force behind the Cannabis Therapy Institute and Legalize2012.com, speaks out against something pertaining to marijuana. But there she was, on a Fox station in Colorado Springs, criticizing marijuana-shaped candy marketed under names like Pot Head Ring Pots and Pot Head Lollipops. Predictably, though,...
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It's not often Laura Kriho, the driving force behind the Cannabis Therapy Institute and Legalize2012.com, speaks out against something pertaining to marijuana. But there she was, on a Fox station in Colorado Springs, criticizing marijuana-shaped candy marketed under names like Pot Head Ring Pots and Pot Head Lollipops. Predictably, though, her take on the issue is more nuanced than the broadcast on view below implies.

Kriho does indeed object to the items. But her gripes have more to do with the way they're being marketed than their existence.

"The manufacturers have a First Amendment right to make candy in whatever shape they want," she says. "But retailers need to be responsible and treat them like an adult-novelty item, and put it where kids can't see them. We don't want to be sending the message to kids to smoke marijuana, and that's clearly the impression this gives.

"We're all about having a debate, and about education," she continues. "But our biggest concern is that marijuana is illegal, and even under a legalization scheme, it would still be illegal for children. And they need to understand that."

On the other hand, Kriho isn't bothered by the continuing mainstreaming of what she calls "cannabis culture" -- a recent example being Good Times hiring Cheech and Chong to do radio ads about green salsa that are filled with thinly veiled weed references.

As for those Colorado Springs parents reportedly upset about the candy, manufactured by the Pennsylvania-based Kalan company, she encourages them to write a letter to the firm asking that retailers be encouraged to market the product to adults.

After all, she's not all that comfortable with bans. Look below to see the aforementioned report, from Fox21 in Colorado Springs:

More from our Marijuana archive: "Medical marijuana: HB 1250 edibles bill hearing stars Cap'n Chronic, Pot Tarts (PHOTOS)."

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