Thank you for the question.
They try to regulate the content, but it hasn't gone too well. That's mainly because, first of all, you have commercial interests that want to make sure they can do whatever they want with cannabis. That's why you have all of these edibles. Even when regulated, 15% THC does not make it safer than 15% THC marijuana that is smoked from the street. It really doesn't. The issue is that is what is harmful.
With regard to the edibles, the cookies and candies, the committee should know that there have already been two deaths related to legal marijuana ingestion. That was basically cookies and brownies bought legally at a marijuana store. For one young man, and he had nothing else in his system, after consuming the cookie, he fell off a balcony and died. The second man, who killed his wife while she was on the 911 call, had just had a marijuana edible.
The issue with the edibles is that when you ingest that all at once, it's different from smoking it, where you are taking in the THC more intermittently. You ingest the THC all at once with these edibles, and that's been a really unfortunate side effect of the legalization.
I think the states are trying to “regulate” it. You must also remember that the black market in Colorado is alive and well. You can't sell it to young people, so the black market is making sure it is filling the gap for the young people, who are their biggest customers and cannot buy from the legal stores.
Certainly I don't think it's showing positive outcomes so far.