PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Mar 28, 2017
Protecting Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act of 2017
This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit any person from manufacturing, creating, distributing, dispensing, or possessing with intent to distribute a schedule I or II controlled substance that is combined with a candy or beverage product, marketed or packaged to appear similar to a candy or beverage product, or modified by flavoring or coloring to appear similar to a candy or beverage product. Such individual must know or have reasonable cause to believe that the controlled substance will be distributed, dispensed, or sold to a person under 18 years of age. The bill imposes enhanced criminal penalties for such violations in addition to the penalty for the underlying offense.
The bill exempts any controlled substance that: (1) has been approved by the Department of Health and Human Services under the drug approval process if the contents, marketing, and packaging of the controlled substance have not been altered from the approved form; or (2) has been altered at the direction of a practitioner who is acting for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
The bill directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to amend and review its guidelines and policy statements to ensure that the guidelines provide for a penalty enhancement of not less than two offense levels for a violation of this bill.
People & committees
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · R–IA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze S.739 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine S.739 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine S.739 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine S.739 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.