The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., owned by the candy behemoth Mars Inc., filed a lawsuit in May against five companies for selling cannabis-infused edibles that look like Skittles, Starburst and Life Savers. Although the suit focuses on intellectual property rights, the plaintiffs also argue that the copycat products could lead people, particularly children, to mistakenly ingest drugs.

A spokeswoman for Mars Inc. wrote in an email that the company is “deeply disturbed” by the products.

America is at an interesting crossroads: one where Big Candy, vilified in the wellness era as a primary source of refined sugar, has become an unlikely sheriff in the Wild West of recreational marijuana consumption roamed by pandemic-stressed adults.

In recent years, similar lawsuits have been brought by the Hershey Co. (against TinctureBelle for products resembling Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Heath bars, Almond Joy bars and York peppermint patties), Mondelez International (against a company hawking Stoney Patch Kids) and Ferrara Candy Co. (against a store selling Medicated Nerds Rope). These lawsuits have all been settled, with the smaller companies agreeing to halt production and sales of the offending products.

Show Notes:
Big Candy Is Angry
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/22/style/edibles-marijuana.html

Guest:
Katrina Glogowski, Seattle Attorney & Angel Investor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-glogowski-711a985/

Host:
Josh Kincaid, Capital Markets Analyst & host of your cannabis business podcast.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshkincaid/

Episode 726 of The Talking Hedge:
Your Cannabis Business Podcast.
​Covering cannabis products, reviews, business news, interviews, investments, events, and more.
https://www.theTalkingHedgepodcast.com

Music Info:
Song: Beat | Keep On | 2020
Artist: Milochromatic Beats
&
Song: Dark Trap Beats Hard Rap Instrumental | Gang | 2018
Artist: LuxrayBeats

Keywords:
Hemp News, Weed News, Cannabis News, Marijuana News, Cannabis Business, Marijuana Business, Cannabis Industry News, Marijuana Industry News, Weed News 420, Talking Hedge Podcast, Cannabis Podcast, Marijuana Podcast, Business Podcast, CBD podcast, THC podcast, Cannabis Pitch Deck, Marijuana Pitch Deck, Marijuana Investment Deck, Cannabis Investment Deck, Cannabis Compliance, Cannabis Data, Cannabis Banking, Cannabis Investment, Pot Stocks, Cannabis Stocks, Weed Stocks, Marijuana Stocks, Cannabis Data, Marijuana Data, Cannabis Analytics, Marijuana Analytics, Cannabis Sales Data, Marijuana Sales Data

Josh is not an investment adviser. The Talking Hedge is long gold and silver. Listeners should always speak to their personal financial advisers.