Wrigley Lawsuit Prevails to Keep Skittles Brand off Cannabis Products
Creators of Zkittlez, a popular cannabis strain, lost a lawsuit that prevents them from using the “Skittles” brand name on their products.
Terphogz, the maker of Zkittlez, reached a settlement with confectioner, Wrigley, where they agreed that they will stop using advertising slogans, names, and websites that closely resemble the Skittles candy brand. Zkittlez makers will also be discontinuing their product line (1).
Representatives from both companies did not respond to requests for comment when Reuters (2) first reported about the settlement.
In May 2021, Mars Wrigley sued Terphogz (1). The candy maker claimed that the cannabis company was damaging the “nearly 50 years and hundreds of millions of dollars” Mars Wrigley invested in “cultivating the goodwill symbolized by the SKITTLES mark,” (1).
Although a settlement was reached, both the settlement and [permanent injunction require court approval.
A hearing has been scheduled for July 12, 2023, as reported by MJBizDaily (1).
This isn’t the first attempt Wrigley has taken a cannabis to court. They have proven to be successful through court channels to keep cannabis companies from utilizing their brands to sell cannabis products (1). Other organizations have also taken similar legal measures such as, the Hershey Co. (3), the Girl Scouts of America, makers of Tapatio hot sauce, and the Gorilla Glue Corp. (4).
References
- Roberts, C. Wrigley Wins Lawsuit to Keep Skittles Name Off Marijuana Products https://mjbizdaily.com/wrigley-wins-lawsuit-to-keep-skittles-name-off-marijuana-products/ (accessed Jul 14, 2023).
- Stempel, J. Skittles Maker Wrigley Settles with Cannabis Company Over Trademark https://www.reuters.com/legal/skittles-maker-wrigley-settles-with-cannabis-company-over-trademark-2023-07-03/ (accessed Jul 14, 2023).
- Schroyer, J. Candy & Cannabis: Hershey’s Renews Trademark Legal Disputes with Marijuana Businesses https://mjbizdaily.com/new-legal-threats-hersheys-raise-specter-trademark-lawsuits/ (accessed Jul 14, 2023).
- Nichols, K. Hot Sauce and Glue: Why Marijuana and Hemp’s Intellectual Property Rights Are Getting Hotter and Stickier https://mjbizdaily.com/hot-sauce-glue-marijuanas-intellectual-property-rights-getting-hotter-stickier/ (accessed Jul 14, 2023).
Ep 25: Cannabis Quality Differentiation Beyond Cannabinoid Content
February 28th 2025In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge we are joined by Julie Kowalski, a leading mind in analytical chemistry and cannabis testing. Julie has arranged a very compelling symposium for Pittcon entitled Cannabis Aroma: Advances and Challenges in Determining and Commercializing Cannabis Product Quality Attributes. It is taking place on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, starting at 9:30 AM in room 209. The session features top notch speakers, including several previous guests of this show, and yours truly, discussing the next generation of quality assessment in cannabis.
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December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
