It\u2019s high time New York nipped this in the bud.<\/p>\n
THC-infused drinks are sprouting up in unlicensed grocery stores and delis across the Big Apple \u2014 as officials warn unsuspecting shoppers and kids could be in for a drug-laced surprise.<\/p>\n
Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal said he was \u201coutraged\u201d that the weed drinks are being illegally sold alongside regular beverages in bodegas and other spots in the five boroughs while state authorities appear to have done little to crack down on the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m outraged that a local supermarket chain in Manhattan is illegally selling potent THC drinks alongside ordinary fruit juices and sodas, where any child could purchase these products and suffer from severe, life-threatening toxicity,\u201d Holyman-Sigal.<\/p>\n
These THC-infused drinks, containing 50 mg of THC, were being sold at a deli without a license. Marie Pohl for the NY Post<\/p>\n
The unexpected high could be a buzzkill for kids\u2019 health, experts said \u2014 with the American Academy of Pediatrics warning that cannabis can lead to serious medical problems for children.<\/p>\n
In adults, THC drinks can produce feelings of euphoria and relaxation, but they can also trigger anxiety, paranoia, nausea, vomiting and a faster heart rate \u2014 especially in people new to cannabis, according to Harvard Medical School<\/a>.<\/p>\n THC drinks can only be sold at licensed marijuana shops in the state.<\/p>\n But Holyman-Sigal said he already alerted the state\u2019s Office of Cannabis Management to a violation at a supermarket in Manhattan last month, and the drinks were removed \u2014\u00a0only to pop up on shelves again.<\/p>\n The Post found pot-laced drinks at dozens of delis citywide, including stores where the beverages were displayed alongside coffee, juice and soda.<\/p>\n Amsterdam Marketplace in the Upper West Side was selling THC-drinks Thursday. Marie Pohl for the NY Post<\/p>\n Shoppers told The Post they did not even realize the drinks were infused with THC.<\/p>\n College student Maya Nelson, 21, said the shelf setup provided the drinks with some cannabis camouflage.<\/p>\n \u201cI would have thought that was kombucha,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got the sort of hippie packaging.\u201d<\/p>\n Marijuana-derived Delta 9 THC may only be purchased in New York at licensed dispensaries, according to the Office of Cannabis Management. Marie Pohl for the NY Post<\/p>\n The manager of a deli on Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg said he just ordered the green-spiked drinks from a beer distributor.\u00a0<\/p>\n When asked whether the store had a hemp or THC license, he replied: \u201cA hemp what?\u201d \u2014 and seemed to be hazy about who actually needed a license.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf they didn\u2019t have a license they wouldn\u2019t sell it to me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Cannabinoid hemp products require a New York Cannabinoid Hemp Retail License. Marie Pohl for the NY Post<\/p>\n On the Upper West Side at Amsterdam Marketplace, the drinks sat on a shelf near organic milk, iced coffee and other beverages.\u00a0<\/p>\n Karin Cieslik, 71, said she would have missed them entirely if they had not been pointed out to her by a Post reporter.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess it\u2019s not cool \u2018cause a kid could pick it up,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n CBD and THC drinks were unsuspectingly sitting on store shelves next to juice and tea. Marie Pohl for the NY Post<\/p>\n Nick Josh, 37, who manages a restaurant in Williamsburg, said the high licensing cost \u2014 around $8,000 in New York City \u2014 leaves small businesses out of the rotation.<\/p>\n \u201cGouging people for different licenses and things of that nature, you only beg for bad behavior,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Enforcement has been a problem since the outset for New York\u2019s Office of Cannabis Management.<\/p>\n The agency\u2019s\u00a0slow licensing rollout and lax enforcement fueled New York\u2019s illegal cannabis market<\/a> in 2024, causing Gov. Kathy Hochul to step in and order\u00a0an overhaul<\/a> of the agency.<\/p>\n Britni Tantalo, president of the New York Cannabis Retail Association, is now calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to order the NYPD to help the state with enforcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe illegal cannabis market continues to thrive in New York,\u201d Tantalo said. \u201cMayor Mamdani must order the NYPD to pursue businesses selling illegal cannabis products.\u201d<\/p>\n