Cannabis Drinks Sold Next To Soda Are Sending Kids To The ER, Doctors Say

Cannabis drinks — beverages that contain THC, the chemical in marijuana that makes people feel "high" — are now being sold in many regular stores, sitting right next to sodas, iced teas, and even chocolate milk. Doctors are raising alarms because children and teenagers are picking up these drinks without knowing what is inside them. Emergency rooms across the country are seeing more kids who have gotten sick after drinking them.

The drinks come in bright, colorful cans that can look a lot like regular energy drinks or sparkling water. Many of the cans have labels that are small or hard to read. A recent visit to stores in New York City found that most shops did not put up any signs warning customers that the drinks contain THC, and store workers were not checking shoppers' IDs before selling the cans.

THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. It is the main chemical in marijuana that affects the brain and changes how a person thinks and feels. When someone — especially a child — takes in too much THC, it can make them feel very sick.

Dr. Rudy Kink is a children's emergency doctor at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. He says his hospital treats four to five kids every single week who have consumed these drinks. Some are toddlers who were attracted to the colorful packaging, while others are teenagers who were curious and decided to try them.

Kids who come into the emergency room after drinking these beverages often feel very tired, confused, and sick to their stomach. Parents are frequently shocked because they have no idea what happened to their child. Doctors have to run urine and blood tests to find out that THC is the cause.

These cannabis drinks have become very popular as more Americans choose not to drink alcohol. Hundreds of brands are now competing for what experts estimate will be about $1.4 billion in sales this year. That is a huge amount of money, which shows just how fast this market is growing.

The drinks became legal through a loophole — a gap or mistake — in a 2018 federal law called the Farm Bill. That law was meant to allow products made from hemp, a plant related to marijuana. Because of this loophole, THC drinks spread to regular stores, even though many states have tried to set limits on how much THC can be in each can.

New York State, for example, says drinks can have no more than 1 milligram of THC per serving. But reporters found cans with 50, 60, and even 100 milligrams sitting openly on shelves. Rules like this are different in every state, they change often, and they are rarely enforced, meaning authorities don't always make sure the rules are followed.

Scientists warn that these drinks can be dangerous even for adults who are not careful. Researcher Tory Spindle at Johns Hopkins Medicine says some buyers might not even realize the drink they purchased contains THC at all. The most dangerous situation, he said, is when someone unknowingly drinks THC and then gets behind the wheel of a car.

Another concern is that many of these hemp-based drinks are not sold through licensed marijuana shops, so they skip the safety testing that those stores require. Health educator Jessica Kruger says buyers cannot be sure how strong the THC is in the drink, or whether it contains any harmful substances. At the same time, Kruger noted that for some adults, these drinks may be a way to drink less alcohol, and industry groups argue the drinks should be regulated with clear labels and ID checks.