Sorry, ‘Nugtella’ Won’t Be Sold At Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Photo via Tumblr.com
The Internet was abuzz with news that a company is producing a “medical marijuana hazelnut spread” made to look like Nutella. But the chocolaty, THC-infused spread won’t have the same clever name if it is sold in Massachusetts, once the first marijuana dispensaries start to open up.
“Nugtella,” which is manufactured by California-based Organicares, is a Nutella-esque mixture laced with medical marijuana.
While a generic brand without the label “Nugtella” could be sold at state dispensaries, if shop owners choose to supply it, the brand name that’s making the rounds isn’t something that will hit the shelves in Massachusetts, according to the rules set by the Department of Public Health, the agency overseeing the marijuana dispensary operations.
From the state regulations and rulebook:
Packaging and Labeling—Marijuana shall be packaged in plain, opaque, tamper-proof, and child-proof containers without depictions of the product, cartoons, or images other than the [dispensary’s] logo. Edible [marijuana-infused products] shall not bear a reasonable resemblance to any product available for consumption as a commercially available candy.
According to officials from the DPH, “commercially available candy” means any product that is manufactured and packaged in the form of bars, drops, or pieces, and “that includes a sweetened mixture of chocolate, caramel, nougat, nuts, fruit, cream, honey, marshmallow or any similar combination to create a dessert-like confection.”
Sorry, “Nugtella,” looks like if you make it to the East Coast, you will just be a “medical marijuana hazelnut spread.”
Coincidentally, Thursday is the last day for those interested in setting up one of the 35 medical marijuana dispensaries allowed in the state to turn in applications for the first phase of the process.
During phase one, potential dispensary owners will have to make a $1,500 payment for the first phase of consideration, and a $30,000 payment for the second phase, both of which are non-refundable.
DPH officials said on Friday they will post a list of applicants that hand in their forms on the DPH website, where medical marijuana information is available. Each applicant will be screened via background checks, and to make sure they have the proper finances on hand to run an operation.
The rules and regulations set by the DPH also state that entrepreneurs interested in opening up shop to sell medical marijuana to qualifying patients will be subject to a $50,000 annual renewal and registration costs, as well as a yearly $500 registration fee for each of their employees.
Applicants will also need to have $500,000 on hand when they go to apply for a license to get approval from the DPH.
Nugtella isn’t the quirkiest of the marijuana-infused products that are available to patients that rely on the drug to deal with debilitating diseases, or pain. Officials wanted to make sure early on, when crafting the rules for the sale of pot products, that things such as “Pot Tarts,” which closely resemble packaging for the breakfast pastry Pop Tarts, and “Munchy Ways,” a pot-infused candy bar that mimics the Milky Way candy bar logo, won’t be seen or sold with that type of packaging.
