|
Matthew Vella
Surreptitiously appearing in bars earlier this month, C-ICE may have apparently failed to raise the alarm with the authorities. Attractively packaged in a bright orange, cardboard container, C-ICE is apparently the mild alternative to a regular joint: it is in fact, Swiss cannabis ice tea.
C-ICE is produced by Swiss company Thurella, which produces and markets several other beverages. C-ICE is a black tea with added hemp blossom syrup and a rather negligible 0.0015 per cent of hemp bloom extract.
The Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, which is responsible for food and veterinary services, told MaltaToday it was not aware about the new product. The Ministry however pointed out that since the ice tea is carbonated, it ran no risk of being confiscated by the authorities for being a non-alcoholic, carbonated drink that is not packaged in a refillable, glass bottle. There was no response from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was asked whether the importation of C-ICE went against Malta’s drug laws. The so-called ‘cannabis ice tea’ is currently being imported in Malta and retailers have remarked that the beverage has generated an initial buzz and prospects look good for the drink. However, hemp is generally considered very low in THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The effects of C-ICE are more of a thirst quencher than that of a legal high.
matthew@newsworksltd.com
|
