The first time a Colorado health agency has held kitchens producing pot-infused brownies, cookies and tinctures to the same food-safety standards as restaurants.

Food Regulators Inspect Edibles Companies, Force Product Recalls.

Health inspectors in Denver are holding edibles companies to the same safety standards as restaurants and other food manufacturers.

The Denver Department of Environmental Health recently began sending food inspectors on surprise visits to edibles manufacturers to check for proper refrigeration, preparation techniques and sanitary standards. It’s a practice that is common within the food industry, which the department also oversees, but not the cannabis sector.

According to The Denver Post, the visits so far have produced 58 violations and three product recalls and led to the destruction of numerous edibles products.

Read more: Food inspections flag health threats in edible marijuana products - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_25743741/food-inspections-flag-health-threats-edible-marijuana-products#ixzz31crB5qHH

TV ad by a United States congressman focusing solely on the need for marijuana reform and offering strong words of support for the cannabis industry...

"Rep. Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat representing Oregon, is running local television ads urging the federal government to butt out and let states decide whether to legalize marijuana and related businesses.

Blumenauer has long been a public supporter of the cannabis movement, backing numerous measures in recent years that would help the marijuana industry. This takes that a step further. In fact, having a sitting federal lawmaker run such a marijuana-specific ad as part of a campaign is unprecedented – and it could open the door for other officials to promote pro-marijuana views as well.

“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that a member of Congress has used campaign funds specifically to produce an ad that is solely related to their support for marijuana policy reform,” said Morgan Fox, communications manager for the Marijuana Policy Project. “This is certainly indicative of a shift occurring among lawmakers who see the growing public support for making marijuana legal and realize that they don’t have to be afraid to tackle this subject anymore."”

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"Labels on edible pot like the difficulty guidelines on ski slopes"

"A task force gathered to brainstorm ways to educate consumers, including a standard warning system on popular edibles, which is the industry term for marijuana that has been concentrated and infused into food or drink.

One idea was to fashion labels on edible pot like the difficulty guidelines on ski slopes. Weak marijuana products would have green dots, grading up to black diamonds for the most potent edibles.

"We should have a marking so that when people come in, they know what they're getting," said Chris Halsor of the Colorado District Attorneys' Council."

more of the story: Task force mulls best options for edible marijuana