TITLE
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF �POTHEAD CANDY�; URGING MIAMI-DADE COUNTY RETAILERS TO REMOVE IT FROM STORE SHELVES AND NOT TO SELL �POTHEAD CANDY� TO CHILDREN

BODY
WHEREAS, with Halloween at the end of this month, a controversial new candy has surfaced on the shelves of South Florida retailers called �pothead candy�; and
WHEREAS, pothead candy includes sour apple flavored �pothead lollipops� which are large lollipops shaped like marijuana leaves and �pothead ring pots� which are rings with lollipops shaped like marijuana leaves attached; and
WHEREAS, pothead candy comes in a bag with cartoon depictions of marijuana leaves and a smiling young person showing a peace sign with a marijuana cigarette in his mouth and a marijuana leaf on his hat; and
WHEREAS, the word �legalize� is emblazoned in large lettering across pothead candy packaging; and
WHEREAS, while pothead candy contains no cannabis or other illegal substances, it nonetheless sends the wrong message to our youth, who already face extensive pressure to try illicit substances; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, use of illicit drugs by youths 12 to 17 years of age increased in 2009 for this first time following a number of years of declines since 2002, with 10 percent of such youths reporting to have used illicit drugs in 2009; and
WHEREAS, the level of youth perceiving great risk of harm associated with smoking marijuana once or twice a week dropped from 54.7 percent in 2007 to 49.3 percent in 2009, marking the first time since 2002 that less than half of young people perceived great harm in frequent marijuana use; and
WHEREAS, 21.2 percent of young adults age 18 to 25 used illicit drugs within the past month according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse; and
WHEREAS, marijuana use compromises the ability to learn and has been shown to lower test scores among high school students; and
WHEREAS, federal, state and local governments spend millions of dollars annually on programs educating children about the hazards of drugs and that the marketing of these products would have an adverse impact upon these programs; and
WHEREAS, while parents, teachers, faith and community leaders look toward finding new ways to communicate with our youth about the dangers of substance abuse, the makers of pothead candy look the other way; and
WHEREAS, pothead candy glamorizes an unhealthy drug culture and targets youth with marijuana leaf-shaped lollipops and cartoon depictions of marijuana use on its wrapper; and
WHEREAS, pothead candy sends the wrong message to impressionable youth that marijuana and other illegal drugs are acceptable, and encourages youths to use marijuana even though there is no marijuana in the candy; and
WHEREAS, pothead candy should only be sold at adult novelty stores: and
WHEREAS, pothead candy is a shameless and irresponsible marketing ploy that is harmful to our youth and community,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Condemns the manufacture and sale of �pothead candy� at Miami-Dade County retail stores.
Section 2. Urges Miami-Dade County retailers to remove �pothead candy� from store shelves, except for adult novelty stores, and not to sell �pothead candy� to children.
Section 3. Directs the Clerk of the Board to send certified copies of this resolution to the Florida Congressional Delegation, the Chair and Members of the Miami-Dade County State Legislation Delegation, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Retail Federation and the manufacturer of pothead candy, Kalan LP, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.