Mike Tyson Ear-Shaped Marijuana Edibles Banned In Colorado: Here's Why

Retired boxing legend Mike Tyson's ear-shaped marijuana edibles are banned in Colorado due to state law.

Tyson's so-called "Mike Bites," sold under his Tyson 2.0 cannabis brand, reference the time the former athlete bit off a part of boxer Evander Holyfield's ear during their 1997 match in Las Vegas.

"We promise they'll taste better than the real thing... or at least that's what Mike tells us," the product description for the edibles read.

While Mike Bites have made their way to Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania since their introduction in March, the marijuana gummies got banned in Colorado, a state that legalized medical cannabis nearly two decades ago.

The reason for the ban is Colorado's House Bill 16-1436, a law passed in 2016 prohibiting the "production and sale of edible medical marijuana-infused products that are in the distinct shape of a human, animal, or fruit."

"The phrase 'the distinct shape of a human' includes the shape of any and all individual human body parts that make their human form readily distinguishable," Colorado's Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) said in a statement.

Tyson cannot sell Mike Bites in the state since body parts are considered part of House Bill 16-1436's ban on human-shaped products, according to a report by Channel 9.

House Bill 16-1436 was passed "to prevent accidental consumption" of marijuana edibles that could be mistaken for products meant for children, such as Sour Patch Kids or gummy bears, the MED explained.

"I think the goal is to take away sort of the cartoon-y aspect of [edibles] that might be more attractive to underage individuals," Morgan Fox, the political director with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), was quoted as saying.

Tyson's representatives did not immediately respond when Channel 9 sought for comment.

Decisions about cannabis packaging, testing, labeling and product varieties are left up to individual states, according to NORML.

"There are a number of states in addition to Colorado that have specific regulations in place governing exactly what edibles can look like in addition to how they're packaged, labeled and advertised. This is something that is primarily designed to prevent accidental pediatric ingestion," Fox said.