“relaxation’ brownies”? Does the FDA need to step in?

Great question. One sitting US Senator thinks so. Senator Dick Durbin is urging the FDA to take a stand. 


Hash brownies are one thing … but what are “relaxation brownies”? They are brownies laced with melatonin. This is a totally slippery slope because melatonin supplements are widely marketed to promote sleep and can be bought over the counter in the United States. 


Melatonin-containing brownies and cakes, under brand names like Lazy Cakes, Kush Cakes and Lulla Pies, have made headlines in the past week, with two Massachusetts mayors calling for the products to be banned. They claim that the products appeal to children, even though Lazy Cakes’ website explicitly says that the brownies are intended for adults only.


What’s the problem?
Dietary supplements do not need to establish evidence of their products’ safety and effectiveness or require pre-market approval. Not at all. Nothing. Honestly, you could be buying anything!


So, to then put that in a food product crosses a line, because that food product actually does have to be shown to be safe. The people who make the supplements infer that — because melatonin is sold in pills, it should also be able to be sold in foods. 


That’s what Sen Durbin got all up in arms: 
In a letter to FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, Durbin wrote: “The website for Lazy Cakes claims their product is, ‘a delicious, chocolate alternative to medication and harmful narcotics to help you safely relax and fall asleep.’ These products appear to be promoting themselves as therapeutic alternatives to medications. As such, the products may be marketed in ways that are inconsistent with federal law.””


Senator Durbin urges FDA action on ‘relaxation’ brownies: