"Candyman" is not (literally) about candy, but it's not about drugs, either.

In the grand old tradition of double-entrendre, the "coded" references are sexual. And in the more recent tradition of US=folk-revival instrumental prowess, one's ablility to perform the John Hurt arrangement came to be very much about one's "manhood," not specifically sexual, but as a full-fledged grown-up fingerpicker.

When I was younger, I spent a lot of time working on "Candyman," and eventually, after years of effort, developed the ability to fight my way through it without any glaring errors. Can't do it as well any more, however, thanks to one Mr. Arthur Itis...