Tulsa Woman Raises Concerns About Lazy Cakes 'Relaxation Brownies'

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Relaxation brownies called Lazy Cakes promise to melt your troubles away and help you calm down after a day of stress and caffeine drinks.

They're selling like hot cakes – but what is in them, and are they safe? A News On 6 producer tried one and said it's more like a knock-out brownie.

"This could be dangerous if you don't know what you're eating," said Six in the Morning producer Stephanie Marsh.

Stephanie Marsh went into a convenience store the other day and saw a sign advertising relaxation brownies. She was so intrigued she took a picture of the sign with her phone and bought two of them.

She went home and ate a half of one.

"Tasted so good, tasted really good, but 20 minutes later, I picked my head up and felt so out of it," Marsh said.

Stephanie said she was out for hours, then went to bed and slept all night. She wondered what would've happened had she eaten the entire brownie and worries what would happen if a kid ate one because it looks like any other snack cake.

"I was just shocked. Could a kid walk in and buy these? A kid could eat a brownie in front of their parents, and they'd never know," she said.

The package says the brownies contain almost four milligrams of melatonin, a hormone our brain makes naturally to help us sleep along with other natural ingredients. Melatonin is a popular sleep aid supplement, considered safe for adults.

"It can help people who travel a lot and cross time zones or for people with occasional sleeplessness," said Sharon Stroud, a certified nutritionist with Whole Foods Market.

Melatonin supplements usually range from one to five milligrams. Experts say more than that should be taken with a doctor's care.

Two of these Lazy Cakes brownies contain nearly eight milligrams. The back of the package does say it's not a snack food for children and that you shouldn't drive, drink or operate heavy equipment after eating them, but Stephanie worries people may not read the label.

"If you think it's dangerous, you should put it behind the counter. I think this is something that should be behind the counter," said News On 6 producer Stephanie Marsh.

"It should be, if you choose to buy it, for an adult only."

Melatonin isn't regulated by the FDA, so there's no sure way to know how much melatonin is really in these brownies, plus everyone reacts differently to supplements, so some people might be hit harder than others.