Cannon Armstrong, who heads up the Office of Medical Cannabis, assured lawmakers Wednesday that the packaging of cannabis products sold in dispensaries to those with certifications will not mimic the candy-like appearance of some hemp-derived products.
And the office is taking steps to keep them out of the hands of kids.
"It's child-resistant. It requires a two-step process for the initial opening. It has a tamper evident seal and it's resealable of course, but those are some of the things that are put into place to add protection," Armstrong said.
It has to look like medicine because we're treating as medicine.Kentucky Sen. Karen Berg
But some lawmakers are concerned about what the products inside the packaging might look like.
Among the acceptable forms of cannabis products in dispensaries will be edibles, including gummies. Armstrong said the state hasn't regulated their appearance, noting that they can be colored.
"Some of these gummies you... they're identical to buying a thing of Skittles," Sen. Karen Berg said. "It has to look like medicine because we're treating as medicine."
Several lawmakers on the Interim Joint Committee on Health Services recommended the office and the General Assembly pursue tighter restrictions on the products.