When the blustery winds blow steadily from the north and a dusting of snow carpets the ground, it’s easy to picture a scene from a Hallmark holiday movie – people strolling down a festive street, cups of hot cocoa warming mittened hands. It certainly seems appropriate that National Cocoa Day falls on December 13, the time of year when the days are getting longer and colder and when bakers and confectioners are whipping up dreamy, chocolatey concoctions. As picture-perfect this scene might be, let’s step away from this winter wonderland and take a moment to examine cocoa through a legal lens, revealing in the process that cocoa does indeed have a darker side.