About That Morning Cup of Coffee: None For You, California

Earlier today I found out that Dunkin Donuts was offering K-cups for their coffee products. For those not familiar, K-cups are the individual containers of coffee that go into Keurig coffee makers. They make one cup of coffee with no muss and no fuss. You just pop the little cup into the coffee maker, hit the button and once the process is complete about 30 seconds later you simply lift it out and toss it into garbage. I have had a Keurig coffee maker for a couple of years now and just love it because besides coffee there are also teas and hot chocolate cups available.

Anyway, enough about my coffee maker. When I went to the Dunkin Donuts website to check on the price of the K-cups I was greeted with this little disclaimer at the bottom of their shopping page.

Important Notice: We are temporarily suspending the shipment of orders to California while we work to comply with Proposition 65 with the State of California. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Ooh, sounds scary. So I decided to find out what this Proposition 65 was. It is basically a list of ingredients in products that the loopy liberals in California find to be dangerous for one reason or another.

In 1986, California voters approved an initiative to address their growing concerns about exposure to toxic chemicals. That initiative became the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known by its original name of Proposition 65. Proposition 65 requires the State to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm. This list, which must be updated at least once a year, has grown to include approximately 800 chemicals since it was first published in 1987.

Proposition 65 requires businesses to notify Californians about significant amounts of chemicals in the products they purchase, in their homes or workplaces, or that are released into the environment. By providing this information, Proposition 65 enables Californians to make informed decisions about protecting themselves from exposure to these chemicals. Proposition 65 also prohibits California businesses from knowingly discharging significant amounts of listed chemicals into sources of drinking water.

That list is currently now 22 pages long and basically includes everything you come into contact with by doing such things as breathing. Among some of the dangerous substances listed are aspirin, caffeic acid, cocaine, various food colorings, marijuana smoke, oral contraceptives, testosterone and the list goes on and on.

I find it highly ironic that the state which has legalized marijuana sold on every street corner also lists marijuana smoke on their list of dangerous chemicals. Too bad they don't treat dope smokers the same way they treat tobacco smokers. The fact that testosterone is on the list really isn't surprising given the general population in the state. Just sayin' and not that there is anything wrong with that.

So California, instead of getting your morning started with a cup of hot coffee, enjoy your tofu colada or whatever the hell you are allowed to drink while you try to figure out just why businesses are leaving your pathetic little fascist state faster then a NASCAR driver on a qualifying run.