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THC beverages line the refrigerated sections of grocery stores, bodegas, and delis, next to other beverages and often in colorful cans indistinguishable from iced teas, probiotic sodas, and other wellness-coded “functional beverages.”
- The main point: State laws on hemp-derived THC vary and are in flux. While some stores stock these drinks next to alcoholic beverages, require identification for purchase, and have warning signs next to the products, many do not.
The details: STAT visited 10 stores in Brooklyn.
- According to New York state law, none of these drinks should be available in regular retail stores.
- Most of the stores, some within a couple blocks of schools, displayed no signs indicating that these were intoxicating beverages, nor did they ask for ID when the drinks were brought to the register.
- Regulations limit the drinks to no more than 1 mg of THC per serving. But beverages with up to 100 times that much were being sold. Most doses were 5-10 mg, but high-potency brands with 50, 60, and 100 mg were also easy to find.
The bigger picture: THC drinks have exploded in popularity across the U.S. in recent years. The loophole created by the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized products derived from hemp allowed for widespread availability, but it is set to close in November.
- But: The THC beverage industry is confident that a solution will be worked out to allow them to continue sales. Major chains like Target, Circle K, and Sprouts have made recent moves to roll out or expand sales of the drinks.
Why it’s important: Doctors, researchers, and advocacy groups warn that these accessible and indistinctly labeled drinks raise the chances of people accidentally ingesting THC and put the health of young people at risk.
- THC drinks not sold through state-licensed dispensaries are not subject to the same testing, meaning they could contain contaminants or unknown amounts of THC or CBD.
- THC products are often inaccurately labeled, both under- and over-estimating the THC concentration.
- Even if people know they are drinking a THC beverage, they might not realize how quickly impairment can start, as drinks seem to kick in more quickly than edibles.
Published
July 2026