Groups in Colorado work to change edible marijuana products putting kids at risk

This piece originally aired on Aug. 1, 2014.

One year ago Thursday morning, recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado. But now that's leading to a problem -- people are overdosing on edible pot that looks like a regular snack. Because of the dangers, some in the state are trying to take some of the risk out of a rocky mountain high, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

From chocolate chip cookies to cupcakes, edible marijuana products have proven popular in Colorado since the state legalized marijuana use.

"It's granola, gummy bear, cereal, lotions, lip gloss, you name it. It's in it," Smart Colorado member Diane Carlson said. The group works to prevent young people from using marijuana products.

"They can be sitting out on the cabinet and a child wouldn't even know if there was marijuana in it," Carlson said.

A new state panel is looking for a way to mark the food itself.

"The challenge lies in marking in such a way that a small child can understand that and that's really difficult," Harborside Health general manager Goose Duarte said.

His company is the biggest marijuana dispensary in California, where medical marijuana has been legal for 18 years. There, food products are packaged and labeled more like medicines than snacks.

Under new rules in Colorado, bite sized food products will be limited to 10 milligrams or less of the psychoactive chemical THC. Sodas and other marijuana infused liquids must be in child-resistant containers that clearly mark the serving size.

"Whoever thought that everything you could possibly think of would be sprayed, injected or infused with highly potent marijuana?" Carlson said.